#don eppes one-shot

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Multitudes

Men I Always Meant to Write For Masterlist

Pairing: Don Eppes x Reader

Rating: M

Notes: Another part one of a shamefully indulgent (and unofficial) Men I Always Meant to Write For series. Not beta-read.

Warnings: Fluff; mentions of canon-specific violence; flip-phones because it’s 2007

Tag list: @informally-liz (here to infuence you on another obscure blorbo :P) ; @20th-centu-fairy-girl (it’s our baby) ; @nominalnebula @amneris21 @elen-aranel @missredherring​ @blueeyesatnight​ @brandyllyn​ (idk he’s tortured and I thought you might like him ¯\_(ツ)_/¯; feel free to ignore!) 

Summary: You’d be damned if you said you’d never been interested in Don Eppes. In your brief acquaintance, you’d felt a certain pull to him. There was nothing to be done then—between his work trying to solve the case and your work trying to cover it for the paper you work for, the two of you had butt heads. But once Eppes had realized that you were more interested in helping the case that sensationalizing it, his irritation had cooled. You’d almost been chummy by the end of the case—almost. 

“Hey, choke up on that bat a bit more.”

You do so without thanking him for the advice, without making a single comment. But when your bat connects with the ball with a sharp, resounding clink!, you feel yourself grinning.

“I was doing alright, you know,” You tell him. But you keep your hands as he directed, taking a swing at the next ball shot out of the machine. Your bat makes contact in as advantageous a place as before.

“I know.”

“Oh? You been watching me, Agent?”

“Caught my eye as I was passing.”

You grin, reaching back and whacking at the button to stop the machine before you turn to face him fully. You realize instantly that it’s a mistake.

Don is leaning against the fence behind you, two fingers hooked into the fence of the cage. He’s chewing a wad of gum like his life depends on it—like he’s trying to imitate his old heroes chomping tobacco and shooting the juice through their front teeth.

"You been here long?" You ask.

"Just finished up. You?"

"Got about, uh—" You shake your sleeve back, eyeing your watch, "Ten minutes left."

"Want a beer?"

The offer makes your brows raise in surprise. Of all the things you thought may come out of Don Eppes' mouth over the course of this conversation, this didn't break the top ten.

"I could go for a drink," You admit. Don's grin widens and he shifts from foot to foot, nodding to the machine.

"Get back to it, then. Sooner you finish up, sooner we can go."

"Are you just gonna stand there and watch me?"

"You intimidated?"

"Maybe."

Don chuckles, flashing you his pearly whites as he straightens fully.

"Alright. I'll wait for you down there."

"Okay," You laugh, nodding. You can't help but watch him go, and you damn the way he turns back to meet your eye in turn.

--

You’d be damned if you said you’d never been interested in Don Eppes. In your brief acquaintance, you’d felt a certain pull to him. There was nothing to be done then—between his work trying to solve the case and your work trying to cover it for the paper you work for, the two of you had butt heads. But once Eppes had realized that you were more interested in helping the case that sensationalizing it, his irritation had cooled. You’d almost been chummy by the end of the case—almost.

--

“What’s got you out here tonight, anyway?” Don asks. You shrug a shoulder, trailing your finger along the label on the beer.

“Just had the urge to hit something. Better for myself and everyone else that I work it out at the cages, right?”

“I hear that,” Don mutters. You smile a little.

“That why you’re here?”

Don raises a hand, tipping it back and forth. You smile, leaning back in your seat a touch. 

“Tough case?” You ask.

“Am I on the record?”

“Oh, fuck off,” You grumble, fighting back a grin at Don’s laugh. “You know as well as I that California is a two party consent state. Anything I’d record without your permission would be inadmissible and punishable by law.”

“Nice to know you care about those rules and regs.”

“I’d be an idiot not to.” You tip your head to the side, eyes sweeping Don’s face. “You haven’t been sleeping.”

“Oh no?”

“Mm-mm. You look like you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in a few days.”

“You know what that looks like?”

“I know exactly what that looks like. I saw you during the case, I saw you at the hearing. Those were two very different looks.”

Don pushes out an irritated huff between tightly pursed lips. 

“You keep an eye out, huh.”

“Both of our jobs require reading people.”

“Is it my turn to say what I see?”

“If you like.” It’s only fair, but it’s intimidating. Don considers you for a long moment, eyes narrowing just a touch. It makes you want to squirm in your seat, but you’ve been given looks like this by people that would just as soon shoot you as look at you. Don’s not like that.

“You don’t like whatever it is you’re covering.”

“Oh no?” You arch your brows. “What makes you say that?” 

“When we worked together—”

“—Oh, you mean when you subpoenaed my research and brought me in for questioning?”

“—You held yourself differently. Stronger eye contact, better posture. You were engaged. Whatever you’re working on right now is takin’ it outta you.” 

Your brows shoot up at the accusations, and you find yourself pushing out a shaky laugh as you turn your face from him, raising your beer to your lips. It’s a little freaky that he can see into you like that.

“Am I wrong?” Don presses. You swallow thickly, the beer like a lump in your throat as you push it into your stomach.

“God, I wish you were.”

“What is it?”

“What I’m working on?”

“Uh-huh.” 

You bite your lip, fiddling almost nervously with your beer. “How about a rule for tonight?”

“What kinda rule?”

“No work talk.” 

Don leans back in his seat a little bit, tipping his head to the side. You can feel him trying to read you; you’re certain he’s trying to dig right into your soul. And then he gives a short nods, lips pursing.

“Alright,” He concedes. “No work. Then what the hell do we talk about?”

The two of you talk about family, and about school. He digs into your time at Quantico, and why you dropped out of training for the FBI.

“It was one of the biggest things that popped for you,” He tells you, “When I looked through your file.”

“Yeah, I bet.” You pillow your chin on your hand. 

“You ever regret it?”

“Dropping out?” You ask.

“Mhm.”

Your hand slides from your chin to scrub at the back of your neck as you consider it.

“I...I won��t pretend that having my hands tied with the ways I can investigate sometimes doesn’t drive me nuts—knowing that I’d have access to way more if I’d stuck to that track, but...” You life your head again to look at Don. “But what you do, day in and day out? I couldn’t do that. I realized it a little too late.”

“You go right into reporting?”

“No, no. I did a few other things in between—marketing, analytics...Things that let me dig into how people think, why they do what they do. Then I hit on journalism.”

“Why the switch?”

“I felt like the things I was saying at work just weren’t being said loud enough.” 

Don nods silently, then offers, “It’s too bad. You were good at it.”

Your eyes and smile widen, stunned. “You looked at my assessments?”

“Yeah,” Don admits with a soft laugh, “But it’s more than that, it’s—When we worked the case. The way you talked to the witness, you know, how you—twisted the emotional knife. We spent five days trying to get to that woman, it did nothing.”

“Well, sometimes you just need a different angle.”

“Hey, I’m all about the different angle. I’ve been working with Charlie for...Two, three years now, different angle is his middle name.”

“Charles ‘Different Angle’ Eppes? Gee, thanks mom and dad.” You smile widely as Don smiles, his arms folding on the table. “You two work well together,” You add. It’s Don’s turn to shift with nerves, hiding his face for just a moment as he scrubs his hand across it.

“We do now, yeah.”

“Not always a happy partnership?”

“Not even that, just, you know...We didn’t get along when we were kids. Sometimes the fact that we get along now seems like a...An anomaly.”

“A statistical improbability?”

“Exactly,” Don laughs. “Thank you—You know what, I’m gonna tell him that...I don’t know, though, you know.” His mirth sobers as he lowers his eyes to the bar. “It’s nice to get along with him now. It’s like I’ve opened the door to something I didn’t even know existed.”

“You happy you did?”

“Yeah,” Don’s brow furrows, nodding. “Yeah, he’s—He’s a smart guy, good kid. He likes to help—and I appreciate it, you know, any lead or any clue that he can point us to, it can make or break a case sometimes.”

“It’s nice that that can bring you closer, even if it isn’t always under the happiest of circumstances.”

“Never is if a crime is involved...” Don trails off, lips pressed thin. And then you see him push a smile onto his face, pointing an accusing finger at you. “You said no work.”

“I’m not sure family chat counts as work, Eppes.”

“Oh no?”

“Overlaps, maybe.”

“Definitely.”

You raise your hands in concession. “Fine, no family-slash-work chat.”

“Good.”

“So I definitely shouldn’t ask about the couple of times your dad consulted informally?”

“Who told you that?”

“...Your dad.”

--

it’s a bad idea to let Don buy you another beer. It’s a worse idea to let him drive you home. The worst idea you have is inviting him inside—but he follows you to your front door, up the steps, into your apartment.

He takes his damn time peering around your shelves, at your framed photographs and your books. You take your damn time opening your beers, eyes set primarily on Don—on the slope of his shoulders, and the slight narrowing of his eyes and purse of his lips as he takes in the contents of your bookshelf—until your bottle opener slips and you skim your knuckles. You hiss, muttering, “Son of a bitch.”

“You okay back there?”

“Uh-huh,” You answer hurriedly, looking down at the beer and cracking it open before you glance over your knuckles. The skin is irritated, raised just a touch. It’s not major, nothing some cold water can’t fix.

“What, the beers fightin’ back?”

You glance up, an irritated pout affixed on your face. It melts when you see Don holding a heavy, engraved crystal plaque.

“Find something you’re interested in?” You ask.

“Excellence in broadcasting,” He reads, then looks at you as he holds up the plaque. “You were in tv?”

“Produced from a studio for a year, then jumped ship for print.”

“Some would say that written journalism is giving way to broadcast.”

“If you’re gonna say that, you’re not getting this beer.”

Don raises a penitent hand, chuckling, “I said some, not me.” He sets the award down before he strides toward you. You hold one of the beers out, and he takes it—only to set it aside in favor of taking hold of your hand and looking at your knuckles.

“What’d you do?” He mumbles, crowding closer.

“Nothing.”

“Oh?”

“Wasn’t paying attention. It slipped.” 

“Oh yeah? What were you payin’ attention to?”

It’s a trap of a question. You can’t tell him you were paying attention to him, but if you weren’t paying attention to your hands, then what the hell else could you have been looking at? You shrug a little bit, mumbling out a lame, half-hearted excuse. 

“I don’t think I caught that,” Don chuckles. 

“Nothing to catch.”

“No?”

“Nothing of consequence.”

“Not sure I believe that.”

Don raises your hand to his lips, brushing a tender kiss along your knuckles. It makes your stomach twist with shock. You almost feel as if you’ve stepped out of yourself—like you’re peering at Don from another vantage point. His warm breath brushes the back of your hand as he lifts his head to peer at you from under his sweeping lashes. 

You watch one another for a few long moments before Don straightens up. But where you thought he’d let go of your hand, he tugs you closer. You wobble a touch, raising your other hand to catch on his shoulder. He dips his head, nudging his nose against yours. But he waits. Don doesn’t dive right in; his eyes search yours, and at such close proximity, his dark eyes seem to contain multitudes.

This feels like an awful idea. You don’t want this to hang over your interactions in the future; you don’t want to risk what has become a genial relationship with him, and his team. But more than that, you want to feel Don pressed far closer than he is now.

You lean in just a little, your nose brushing lightly against Don’s. You track one another’s gaze, hardly blinking as you grow closer. For a moment, you think that one or both of you will back off, laugh awkwardly, dismiss it. But before you can second-guess yourself, Don dives in for a kiss. Your eyes slip closed at the contact. Your free hand raises to curl around the back of his neck, keeping him close. Don slides his hand away from yours, resting them on your hips. Your skin prickles with heat as he backs you up against the counter. He groans softly, smoothing his hand up the back of your shirt. You tip your head, teasing your tongue between his lips and whimpering softly. You’re set to push yourself up onto the counter, but—

You groan again, tipping your head back as his phone rings in his pocket. He spits a curse, reaching for his phone and opening it.

“Eppes.”

You lean up, brushing your lips against his neck, grinning as his fingers press against your skin, sweeping against your bra strap.

“...Alright...Alright, I’ll be there in twenty.”

Dang.

You lean back, smiling a little as he closes his phone and tucks it away again. He sighs, and before he can apologize, you offer, “It’s alright. Could’ve just as easily happened to me.”

“Yeah.” Don agrees, but he doesn’t look convinced. 

“You alright to drive?”

“Oh, yeah,” He nods. “You barely got that beer open, anyway.”

“Fuck you,” You laugh, shoving his shoulder. Don doesn’t get far, just leans back in and gives you a warm, slow kiss.

“Rain check?” He murmurs.

“Sure.” 

You disentangle yourselves, and you straighten your shirt as you trail him to the door.

“Be careful out there, Eppes.”

“I will be,” He shoots you a wink. “You gonna be up long?”

“I can be.”

His smile widens into something dopey and warm, and he nods, promising, “I’ll call.”

[fandom-imagines-stories]

One is the Loneliest Number

Don Eppes x Reader

Words: 4527

Part Three of Three

Summary: Having pushed each other away, Don and the reader contemplate whether or not the risk relationships pose in their lives is worth the pain they’ve experienced before. Things get even more complicated when she must go into protective custody. Charlie steps in to help. 

Notes: For this last part, I really wanted to do something a little different and not use the villain from the last two episodes. I thought having something more connected to the reader rather than Don would be a good way to get a conversation going for the two of them. But who knows, maybe I’ll bring these two back and revisit Nicholsen. I’ve had so much fun writing this series. 

More Don: HERE 

-

You heard the shots and started running. 

The shot echoed through his head as he sprinted across the courtyard.

You couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of your heart in your ears. Every step seemed like another gunshot ringing through your head. 

He pushed through the sea of people running in the opposite direction, trying to see over the crowd. Another shot rang out and someone around him screamed. He called out your name like he already knew. 

You made it past the desk without having to check in. They didn’t even look at you. They all just looked at the horrifying scene as it played out on every security screen, haunting you with every image. You watched him fall to the ground. You watched the blood. 

He saw the pool of blood before he saw you. It seemed to flow like a river, spreading across the sidewalk and coating his feet as he kept running. 

You fell to the carpet beside him- laid out beside his desk and choking on his blood- a bullet hole where his throat should have been. 

He fell to the ground beside you, your cold eyes directed up at the gray sky. He pulled you into his arms, letting your blood stain his skin and mix with his tears. 

You screamed until you couldn’t breathe. 

He screamed until his lungs gave out. 

You woke up gripping sweat-soaked sheets, gasping in the cold night air. Rain pelted the fire escape, pinging against the metal and your memory. 

Don woke up, shooting out of the bed, reaching for the bat he kept next to his nightstand. But there was no one there. Nothing but the sound of the rain on his window pane. 

Your frantic eyes scanned the room, convincing your brain that it was just a dream. It wasn’t real. 

Don laid back down, turning over but finding nothing but an empty bed to hold. 

You were alone. 

He was alone. 

-

They caught him. More specifically, they killed him. Pete Nicholsen went down two weeks after the shooting at the school. After everything with Don…

You’d tried to focus on teaching. You told yourself that it would be better. You wouldn’t be as distracted. It was easier this way. For both of you. 

Still, not so much as a phone call? 

It hurt more than you wanted to admit. 

How could you be so stupid? 

“Come on, Y/N,” you muttered to yourself. “It wasn’t exactly the same situation. Cut yourself some slack.” 

The bottom drawer of your desk mocked you with what you knew was inside. As you reached for it, a voice made you pause. 

“Long day?” Amita knocked on your doorframe and stepped into the office. “No offense, but you look exhausted.” 

“Gee, thanks,” you laughed, forgetting the object in the drawer. “Did Charlie send you to check on me?”

“Can’t I just be concerned about the well-being of my friend?” Amita took the seat across from you. “He mentioned that you’ve seemed a little down the past few weeks and I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“I’m always okay, Amita, but I appreciate the concern.” 

“‘I’m always okay’? Really,” she said, shaking her head. “God, you sound like Don.” 

“Ah, the elusive FBI big brother. I’ve heard his quite the character.” You kept your eyes on the wooden surface in front of you so she couldn’t see the pain in your gaze just from hearing his name. 

“I thought you guys knew each other?” She prompted. “Charlie seems to think you got on pretty well after the lecture.”

“Yeah, well our schedules and everything don’t really allow for budding friendships I guess.” 

Or relationships. Or feelings. 

Or love. 

The whining tone of your voice made you sound as pathetic as you felt. You grabbed some files from your desk that you honestly hadn’t looked at in days and placed them out in front of you. 

“I’ve actually got a lot I need to do tonight before I go home, so…” 

Amita’s lips formed a line. She nodded. “Right. I’ll leave you to do that then.” As she got up to leave, a pang of guilt shot through your head. Just because you were mad at yourself didn’t mean you had to be mad at the world. 

“Hey, wait,” you sighed. She turned around. “Maybe we could get coffee tomorrow or something? I know I’ve been kind of distant lately, but I’d like to spend more time with you and Charlie.”

“That would be great.” Amita gave you a small smile and left. 

You set the files back down and ran a hand over your face, reaching again for that bottom drawer. 

The ring glinted up at you in the lamplight, along with the shattered picture frame under it. A lying smile laid beneath cracked glass. 

Maybe it was better that Don broke things off when he did. 

Maybe you were just better off alone. 

And maybe, one day, you would actually make yourself believe that. 

-

“Now get it done!” Don screamed, slamming his hand on his desk and turning his back on the team. 

It was like he was angry at the world. From snapping at the team to the agitated way he was after they got Nicholsen, Don was different. And he was making work awkward as hell for everybody else. 

He was pouring himself some coffee, thinking about a lot of things, none of which had anything to do with the case he was on, when he was suddenly not alone anymore. 

“Alright,” Megan said, closing the door behind her. “What’s going on?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“You just yelled at all of us for the past ten minutes for not being able to get a warrant that you know we aren’t going to get.” She poured herself a cup. “You aren’t a bully Don, but you’re pissed off at something. I just don’t think it’s us.” 

“And I don’t think it’s your place to question me, Agent Reeves,” he snapped. 

She took the blow without flinching. “I’m talking as a friend, not a fellow agent. I just want to know if you’re okay.”

“I’m always okay,” he answered without thinking. 

Megan rolled her eyes. “Right.” 

Seeing that she wasn’t getting anywhere, the junior agent returned to her desk. 

Don’s shoulders fell as he leaned on the table, running a hand down his face. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He knew that he was letting his personal life collide with work, the opposite of what he wanted to happen when he ended things. He took a deep breath, finished his coffee, and went back out to the team. 

The office was buzzing and it wasn’t over his previous outburst. The TV screen gave an explanation. A federal prosecutor was found dead in her garage. It might have been written off as a suicide, but, as the newscaster put it, clear messages were left at the crime scene regarding Attorney Lannister’s court case on Mario Treble, a big name in organized crime. 

But that wasn’t what Don noticed. 

There, in the background, a police officer was talking to a woman clearly in distress. 

“Isn’t that…” Megan started. 

Don’s eyes were glued to the screen and he spoke only loud enough that she could hear. “That’s Y/N.” 

-

You tried to keep from shaking. After a career of looking at crime scene photos, you never imagined that this is what it felt like to be first on the scene. 

Jules was your friend. Seeing her hanging like that… 

Just thinking about it almost made you sick all over again. You just sat on the hood of a cop car with the stupid shock blanket that the paramedics gave you for what had to be hours. You watched them wheel the body bag out of the garage, the squeaking wheels echoing through your head so you couldn't focus on anything else. You just saw her face, blue and twisted and terrified. You didn’t see the SUVs pull up or hear the car doors slam. You couldn't see anything but that black body bag until someone stepped in front of your view and suddenly you were looking into dark, worried eyes. 

“They told me you weren’t hurt. Are you hurt?” Don asked, crouching down so he could get a better look at possible injuries. 

Don. 

For a minute you didn’t care that you’d walked out of his apartment two weeks ago. You didn’t care that he’d broken your heart. You didn’t care that you’d spent the last couple of weeks beating yourself up over letting yourself fall in love again. You didn’t care because he was here. 

You stood up, blanket falling to your feet, and threw your arms around him. 

He stood, surprised for a second, but wrapped you in his embrace quickly, grateful that you were okay. 

“I came over to go over my testimony and-and she was just… hanging there,” you cried. “Her notes were all over the floor like someone had gone through them and the card was sitting there on top and-”

“Woah, slow down.” Don pushed away, brows furrowed. “Card? What card?” 

You blinked, remembered where you were and who you were with, and took a step back. “The King of Diamonds.” Running your fingers through your hair, you tried to think.

  “What does that have to do with Lannister?” 

“Playing cards are a trademark for Mario Treble,” you said. “It’s a message to let him go.” Tears welled up in your eyes again. “Jules told me this was a major case, but I never thought that… oh my god, they really killed her.” 

Don picked up the shock blanket and put it back around your shoulders. “Come here,” he soothed, pulling you back into your arms. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m going to figure this out.” 

“Hey, Don!” Colby called from the garage. “You should come take a look at this.” 

The team leader lingered, keeping his eyes on you. 

You took another step back. “Go. You’re of more use there than with me.” Maybe you didn’t mean for it to sound as biting as it did. Maybe you did. 

Don nodded, stone-faced, and walked away. 

He joined Colby, who was looking up at the beam that Jules Lannister had been strung up from. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“Did Y/N mention anything about playing cards?” 

“Yeah, she said something about there being a King of Diamonds on top of the files. It’s apparently a signature of this guy Lannister was prosecuting,” Don said. “Why?”

Colby pointed up. “Because I think they left more than one message.” 

Don craned his neck to get a better look. There, taped to the beam, was a Queen of Hearts card. 

“Does that say what I think it says?” Colby grimaced. 

Don’s heart dropped. He clenched his jaw. 

“She’s next.” He reached for his phone. 

“What’s the plan?” Colby asked.

“First, I’m getting her the hell out of here.” He dialed his brother’s number. Don turned back, watching you across the driveway with a lump in his throat. The other line picked up. “Hey, Charlie, I need a favor.”

-

Someone handed you a mug. It warmed your hands. Someone asked if you wanted something else. You thought you shook your head, but you weren’t sure. It didn’t feel like you could move at all. You blinked, trying to process the motion around the room. 

Charlie sat down in front of you. 

“Don said he’ll be here soon.” 

You nodded. 

“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” 

You nodded. 

“Can you actually hear me or are you just nodding because you want me to leave you alone?” 

Finally, a small smile graced your lips. Your dazed eyes met his.  “Loud and clear, professor. Thank you.” You took a sip of the coffee he’d given you, letting it pull you further out of your trance. 

Charlie took a deep breath. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked, hasn’t it?”

“We see each other every other day,” you teased. 

“Yeah, but that’s just class stuff. We haven’t really, you know, talked talked since… well, since Nicholsen came to campus that day.”

You tensed and set the mug down. 

“I don’t know what you mean, Charlie.” 

“Listen, it took me a long time to… adjust after I started working with the FBI,” he said. “I don’t think I ever fully adjusted to some of the stuff we deal with.”

“It isn’t that.” 

He looked at you with soft, inquisitive eyes. “Then what is it?”

The door opened before you could fumble for an answer. 

“Don,” Alan greeted from the kitchen table. 

“Where is she? Is she okay?” His voice was urgent, panicked. The images from his dream had flashed through his mind the entire ride here.

“As okay as she can be,” you answered bleakly, standing up and meeting him under the archway. “Hey.” 

“I’ve got Megan and Colby talking to Treble at the prison and we’re getting something worked out for protective custody.”

You crossed your arms. “Protective custody? For who?”

“There was another card, Y/N.” Don’s dark eyes met yours. “Queen of Hearts.” 

Alan and Charlie exchanged a look. 

You took a step back, crossing your arms. 

“You think that they’re coming after me?”

“The card had ‘she’s next’ written on it. I’d say the chances are pretty high that means you.” He tossed his jacket onto the table. “I’m just waiting on the call to take you to a safehouse downtown.”

“I can’t go to a safe house,” you exclaimed. “We have to figure this out. Find who killed Jules and how to stop them from holding up the trial. How are we supposed to do that from a safe house?” 

He held up a hand. “We aren’t doing anything.” 

You stepped up to Don and all his protective machismo and put your hands on your hips. “Well, I’m not going to sit around while Jules’ killer is still out there.” 

Charlie gulped, storm warnings going off in his mind. 

Don glanced at his watching family members. “Come with me,” he said, taking you by the arm, and leading you into the kitchen. 

A wave hit Alan and he felt a little stupid for not seeing it earlier. 

With the kitchen door closed behind you, Don crossed his arms, fuming. 

“I thought you were smarter than this.”

“Excuse me?”

“Y/N, you teach criminology for a living,” he scoffed. “How often does it work out for the victim who refuses protection from someone like Treble?” 

You wanted to argue. You wanted to scream at him for more reasons than one, but the growing ache in your chest told you he was right. 

Don’s face softened. “Hey, listen, I get it. Jules was your friend and you want to get this guy. I want to get him too.” He stepped towards you. “But you aren’t thinking right now. You know that the safest thing you can do is work with me here.” A hand reached for yours. “Please.” 

“It was a mistake. Please. Do you know how this will look?” 

You took a step back. 

“I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

“Fine.” You voided your voice of any emotion but indifference. “Do whatever you think you need to, Agent Eppes.” 

You pushed back out the door. 

Don’s hand fell back to his side. 

-

Megan took you to the hotel, giving you little glances the whole drive. 

You didn’t say anything. 

The city blurred by outside of the window, the radio droning in the background. It looked like it was going to storm again. 

Your nightmare flashed through your head with the lightning. 

“Treble, obviously, isn’t talking,” Megan said, breaking the silence. “But Colby thinks he might have a lead.” She looked at you sympathetically. “We’re going to stop this guy.”

“Yeah,” you muttered, turning back to the cool glass of the window. “Let’s just hope it’s before any of you get killed in the process.”

“Y/N-”

“How much further is this place?” You interrupted, your voice flat and detached. 

Megan sighed. “Ten more minutes.” 

The car fell silent again. 

-

Don paced relentlessly as Charlie demonstrated how to apply something Don couldn’t focus on enough to understand to something else that didn’t seem like it was going to help at all. 

“That’s going to take too long,” he said, cutting Charlie off mid-sentence. 

Everyone in the room turned to him. 

“Don, I assure you, this will work in helping us know where Treble is going to instruct his men to strike next,” Charlie explained. 

“We already know where he’s going to strike next.” Don tossed the file with your name on it down on the table in front of his brother. “We need to know how to stop him, not study him.”

Frustration rippled across his tense shoulder blades, anger tightened his jaw, but beneath it all, fear filled his eyes. 

Charlie looked at Colby and David. “Can I have a minute, guys?”

Both were more than happy to avoid whatever hurricane Don had in him and hurried out of the room. 

Don’s brows drew together. “The hell are you doing?”

“Go to her,” Charlie sighed. 

“What?”

“Go. To. Her.” Charlie set down his marker and crossed his arms. “You’re going to keep boiling over until you do, so go see her. Talk to her. Do what you need to do so that you can think about this more clearly.”

“Are you saying I’m not doing my job?”

“No, I’m saying that you are being an idiot, Don.”

Don took a furious step towards him. 

Charlie moved to the other side of the table holding up his hands. 

“Look, I might not know everything, but I’m pretty good at putting variables together,” he said. “So get over yourself and go.”

Don’s mouth twitched and for a second, Charlie thought he was going to punch him. But instead, Don grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and stormed out of the room.

Charlie let out a sigh of relief. 

Finally.

-

You couldn’t sit still, despite the pile of work you’d brought with you, all you could do was pace in front of the windows, curtains drawn in case Treble managed to hire a sniper. That’s what Megan said anyway. 

She was sitting on the couch pretending not to analyze your every move like you were a cat trying to escape. 

“You should try and get some sleep,” she said, flipping through a newspaper. 

“Could you sleep if someone put out a calling card for your death?” 

She shrugged. “Fair enough.” 

Her walkie-talkie beeped and Don’s voice came through the static.

“Hey, Megan, I’m here to relieve you for a couple hours,” he said.

You froze.

He added, “Colby wants you to take a crack at getting one of Treble’s men to talk.”

Megan glanced up at you. She picked up the device. “Okay, boss.” She went to the door. 

You stuck to the window, arms crossed and heart pounding. You didn’t turn around when the door clicked open. You didn’t turn around when you heard his voice. 

“Thanks, Megan.”

“I’ll be back in a couple hours,” the junior agent said, giving her boss a questioning look. She muttered, “I hope you know what you’re doing.” 

Don frowned and stepped inside. 

Megan closed the door behind her. 

“Hey,” he said. 

You still didn’t turn around. “Agent Eppes.”

“Y/N-”

“I’m doing what you wanted, aren’t I?” You huffed, shoulders tight and eyes welling up. “I’m here. Instead of looking for who did this to my friend, I’m here.”

“You’re safe.”

“Am I?” You finally whipped around to face him. “Megan told me to stay away from the windows in case they have a sniper. A sniper, Don!”

“It’s just a precaution. You know that.” He ran a hand down his face. 

You sighed, letting your eyes fall to the floor. “I know.” 

Don stepped toward you. He shifted uncomfortably. “Look, Y/N…” He blew out a breath. “Can we talk?”

“If it’s about my safety, I don’t want to hear it.”

“It’s about what happened with the Nicholsen case.” 

Your eyes met his. Your heart stopped. “Don-”

A loud crash cut you off. 

Don rushed over to you, pulling out his gun. 

“It came from the bedroom,” you whispered, huddling close to him. “There’s a balcony with glass doors. That must be it.”

A flash of black and gunshots rang over your head. 

Don kept you behind him, ducking both of you out of the way. “This way. Go!”

He led you back toward the back entrance of the room. 

It burst open before you got there. One of Treble’s men stepped through, aiming for your chest and firing. 

Don got you out of the way enough for the bullet to only graze your shoulder. Still, pain tore through your arm and you couldn’t hold back your scream. 

“Sonofabitch,” Don muttered, firing at the hitman. His bullet found its mark between the man’s eyes. 

Your arm wrenched back and you felt the metal barrel against the back of your neck. 

“Call your FBI friend off,” a voice growled. 

“D-Don,” you whimpered, chest heaving and arms shaking.

Don turned around, eyes widening at the sight of you at gunpoint. 

“Drop it, tough guy,” the man holding you ordered. 

“Treble isn’t worth dying over,” Don said, trying to get a lock on the guy holding you, but he was using you as a shield. 

“I said put it down!” He dug the gun into your skin. 

Don’s eyes locked with yours.

A tear fell down your cheek. You mouthed ‘I love you.’

His heart shattered.

“Okay, okay.” Don put his hands up, slowly laying his weapon on the ground. 

“You’re going to tell your bosses to let Mario Treble go.”

“So you’re willing to go to prison for the rest of your life for that son of a bitch?” You snapped. 

“Shut up.” He jerked your injured arm back. 

You cried out. 

“You aren’t walking out of this,” Don said. “Just let her go and we can work something out.”

“Tell your bosses to let Treble go, or your girlfriend’s brains are going all over the carpet.” 

“Don,” you cried, trying to keep your voice from cracking. 

‘I love you too’ he mouthed, making sure the hitman couldn’t see. 

The shot made both of you flinch. 

The gun against your neck clattered to the floor. 

“You okay?” Megan asked, holding the gun that made the final kill. “Don?”

Don let out a sigh of relief. 

You hit your knees, a terrified sob escaping your chest. 

Don pulled you into his arms without hesitating, careful not to hit your bleeding wound. “Megan, we need a medic. Y/N’s hit.”

“I’ll be okay,” you muttered against his chest. “I’ll be okay.”

“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He kissed your forehead. 

Megan called it in.

-

They let you go from the hospital even though Don said you should have stayed longer. The whole way to Charlie’s house, he didn’t leave your side and you didn’t argue about it. He reminded you that you were safe now. 

That Treble was staying behind bars. 

It was your idea to go to Charlie’s. Neutral ground. And you couldn’t bear the thought of going back to your apartment alone. 

The ride over from the FBI building was endured in a tense silence. 

The words you said still lingered in your head and hammered through your heart. Well… almost said. 

“Don, I-”

“Listen, Y/N-”

You both started at the same time. 

Don glanced over at you, a silent instruction for you to go first. 

You took a deep breath. “My ex-fiance cheated on me with his TA.” Saying it now felt like a weight lifted off your chest for the first time in years. You exhaled. “That’s why I’ve always been a little… careful.” 

Careful was a nice way of saying guarded, but you knew he got the point. 

His hand reached over to hold yours.

You didn’t pull away.

“I’m used to bailing when things get serious because I’m terrified of losing the people who are important to me,” he admitted, running his thumb over your knuckles. “So I convince myself that pushing people away is better for everyone.” Don parked the car and watched you with those dark, serious eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt you because of that.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my jerk of an ex sooner. I guess I made myself believe that if I pretended it didn’t happen, I could just move on.” You cast your eyes downward. “Jules was the one who helped me through it.” 

Don sighed. “Y/N, I’m so sorry.”

“She died because she was damn good at her job.” You shook your head. “At least she would have been proud of that.” 

You tried in vain to blink away tears. 

Don shifted in his seat to face you. “Hey-”

“I’m okay,” you choked back a sob. “I’m-”

“Come here.” Don pulled you to him, holding you like he had back in that hotel room while you cried. While tears of his own threatened to spill over. 

“I was so scared, Don. I didn’t want to die like she did. I wasn’t ready to-”

“I know, sweetheart.” He kissed your cheek. “I know.”

You pulled away, but your faces remained inches apart. “I meant it,” you said, voice lowered to a whisper. “And it wasn’t because I had a gun to my head and it wasn’t because I thought I was going to lose you all over again.” You stared into those perfect brown eyes. “I love you, Don Eppes.” 

Don paused as if making sure he heard you right. Then, he closed the space between you. His lips caught yours gently, holding his next words in every movement.

“I meant it too.” He kissed you again. “I love you, Y/N.” 

“Then let’s stop pretending we don’t.”

He laughed, finally smiling for what felt like the first time in weeks. “Yeah. Good idea.”

The two of you got out of the car, hand in hand, and you knew that this was what you wanted. What Jules would have wanted for you. 

“So does this mean I can bother you at work whenever I have to see Charlie?” Don asked, smirking. 

“Only if you bring me cold pizza or a turkey sandwich,” you smiled. 

Alan opened the door with Charlie beside him. They both looked at you and Don’s linked hands. 

“Well I’m glad that’s finally figured out,” Alan said. 

Don stopped, looking at both of them. “You two knew?”

“I did,” Alan laughed. “But it took your brother a little longer to figure it out.”

Charlie held up his hands. “My mind has been a little too occupied to realize my brother and my coworker are hiding a relationship.” 

You winced. “Yeah. Sorry, Charlie.” 

The four of you all laughed.

Don held you a little tighter. 

It wasn’t going to be easy. But neither of you would be alone. 

[unsocialized-nerd]

Still Rocking Your Hoodie

Pairing: Don Eppes x Reader

A/N: I’m rewatching Numb3rs and I’m obsessed with Don bc damn that man is fine but anyways this was inspired by the song Hoodie by: Hey Violet

“Charlie are you sure about this?” Don asked suddenly very concerned “Yes Don the math doesn’t lie.” Charlie stated getting sick of people always asking if it was right “Why Don? What’s Wrong?” David asked noting the change in his demeanor “I know that address.” Don knew the way to her house by heart and soon enough they were pulling into her driveway. Don and David walked up to her front door and went to knock when they noticed the front door was already open. Drawing their guns they went into the house. “Y/N. It’s Don. Are you here?” Don asked as they made entry already having a feeling they weren’t going to get an answer. “Okay we’re clear.” David said as they put their guns away and started surveying the house. Don walked into her bedroom and looked around, noticing the old sweatshirt sitting on her bed. Picking it up he noticed you never replaced the broken zipper or the patched up the holes where the material had worn too thin. “Don you need to look at this!” David yelled from the kitchen Don walked in still holding the ratty hoodie in his hands. David wanted to ask what was going on but decided to get away. “Back door was open and there’s blood on the floor but it doesn’t look like anything fatal. The kettle was still on the stove boiling with water in it so-” “We just missed them.” Don said interrupting him. “Yeah,” was all David managed to get out, “There’s more going on here isn’t there?” David finally asked “She’s my ex.” Don said not giving too much away. Not wanting to say that she was the only girl he was ever sure he loved completely. That she was the one that got away. And how it was killing him that she was now missing.

Charlie was explaining whatever math he was going to use to find her but Don wasn’t listening. He was thinking about everything he did wrong in the relationship. They had a really good thing. He was hopelessly in love with her and vice versa. From her point of view, he ended the relationship suddenly. Said he didn’t love her anymore and moved on. But that wasn’t the whole story. The whole story being that her life was threatened multiple times because of his job and one time was too close and he just couldn’t handle her getting hurt because of him. He thought it was best to end things and she’d eventually move on to a new man who wasn’t putting her life at risk every time he went to work. It had been almost a year and he hadn’t dated anyone since. And judging by his old hoodie still on her bed, she hadn’t either. Maybe if he hadn’t ended things he would’ve been able to prevent this. She wouldn’t be living by herself. She wouldn’t have gotten hurt. But her couldn’t think like that, not right now. Right now, he had to focus on finding her. Don started to focus back on the team strategizing but the room was completely silent. “What?” He said because they were all staring at him “We know where she is Don.” Colby said “Well than why are you guys just standing around, let’s go.” He said standing up and grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair.

They pulled up outside the abandoned warehouse with S.W.A.T. and other agents. Don explained the plan to everyone and they made their way around the building before going inside. There was minimal struggle as they barged into the warehouse. One of them took off running but Don decided someone else could chase after him. “Y/N!” Don yelled out hoping you were there and you were still live. “Don is that you?” a weak voice yelled from a corner. Don ran over to the small room she was being held in and broke open the door. And immediately she started crying. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. I’m right here.” Don said while squatting down to untie her hands and feet. As soon as she was untied, she grabbed on to Don and held on for dear life. “Hey you’re fine. It’s fine.” He said while holding her head to his chest and helping her to stand up. As they walked out of the building, Don put his jacket around her and led her to the ambulance.

It was almost a week later when Don heard a knock at his door. When he opened the door Y/N was standing there. “Hey I wasn’t expecting to see you.” Was all Don managed to say “Oh well I wanted to return this.” She said while holding out his FBI jacket he’d given her at the scene. “Well thanks,” there was a pause “Hey come in for a second, I have something of yours.” She walked into his living room while he went into his bedroom, returning a few seconds later with the hoodie he found at her house. “It seems you have a thing for my jackets” He said with a chuckle “Well it was all I had of you when you left. It was always my favorite of yours even with the stupid broken zipper.” She said while staring at her feet, their break-up being an awkward topic. “Why do think I left it?” Don said and she just looked up at him confused. “I never gave you the real reason as to why I left.” Don then went into the concerns he had about her safety and all the close calls she never knew about, “But I was so worried about you getting hurt through my job that it didn’t occur to me that I could be better at keeping you safe because of what I do not until today anyway. If I never left maybe I could’ve prevented everything that happened to you.” “Don, you can’t blame yourself. If it hadn’t been for you, things much worse than them just tying me up could’ve happened. You’re great at your job but you carry too much on yourself, always have.” There was silence. “But Don I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and if the only reason we broke up is because you were worried about my safety then that’s stupid. I understand you Don, you haven’t always been the best at talking but with what we have, I just don’t get why you wouldn’t have told me.” “Have? Present tense?” was all Don said “What?” she said confused “You said “with what we have” you’re talking about us in the present tense.” “Yes Don, just because we’re not together anymore doesn’t mean there isn’t anything still here. I was completely and helplessly in love with you. It absolutely destroyed me when you left. And no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t hate you. I think subconsciously I knew there was more to it but I was in too much pain to try and figure that out.” “I’m sorry” Don was never a man of many words “I’ve been seeing a therapist.” He said after a pause “Ok and?” “And I’m better at talking. At trusting. Y/N I want to try again with you. You are the love of my life and it took everything in me to not come running back to you. Back then I wasn’t good at relationships. I was good at leaving. So when I realized that I was putting your life at stake I didn’t know how to deal with it. Leaving was easier than dealing with my feelings. I know that doesn’t make up for what I did but do you think there is even a chance you’ll have me back?” There was silence She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him “We’ll see” she said with a smirk as she turned and walked out Don’s apartment. Leaving him with a smirk on his face and maybe a little twinge of hope in his heart.

[rora-s]

The Derivative Chapter 15: Seventeen

Chapter 1 <- Chapter 14

I came trudging into my uncle's office and threw my backpack down in his chair. The three men within the office gave me a concerned look. “Trouble adapting to college life?” Charlie inquired.

I let off a breath leaning on the desk “college students are better but no less annoying than high schoolers” I declared “I just talked to a girl in one of my classes who asked and I quote ‘are you visiting on a high school field trip?’” I mocked the girl's squawky voice.

Don chuckled slightly “well you are sixteen. Not a lot of kids your age running around these halls”

“She sees me every other day in our class. She borrowed my pencil once” I exclaimed indignantly.

“Ah it seems this fair student was wrapped in her own world to the point of tuning the rest out” Larry declared.

“Yeah or she’s just an asshole” I muttered then glanced at the computer screen on the desk “is that some kind of code?”

“Yes it’s a rolling code for a car remote” Charlie explained, holding up the remote in question in his hand. “It’s actually part of a kidnapping case”

“Kidnapping?” I questioned.

Don sighed and shot his brother a look “yeah it’s a case we’re working.”

I nodded, resisting the urge to ask if I could help. Just then my phone alarm went off. “I have class” I sighed, turning off the alarm and grabbing my backpack.

“I’ll walk with you,” Don offered. I nodded and waved farewell to Charlie and Larry as we exited the office. We only got a couple feet from the door before Don was talking again “so your birthday is this weekend.”

“What? Really? I had no idea” I replied sarcastically.

Don scoffed “I was just wondering if you wanted to do anything? I mean just me and you could hangout or we could have a barbecue at the house with everybody. Whatever you want” he shrugged.

“Uh yeah a barbecue would be cool” I murmured the grip on my backpack tightening a bit.

“You sure?” Don asked. I glanced over to see him looking at me with mild concern in his features.

“Yeah fine” I assured him as we reached the door to my classroom “it’s just…” I hesitated “don’t worry about it it's nothing”

“Okay” Don nodded “have fun on your field trip” he teased.

“Ha ha very funny” I muttered a small smile on his face. He turned to leave and I ducked into the classroom. There was a sinking feeling in my gut and another feeling that I couldn’t quite place and didn’t really like.

________________

3rd POV.

“And no, no contact, in almost seven hours” Don murmured looking at the board set up in the war room. “What the hell are they after?”

“I still think Erica Logan has to be the key” Megan declared standing up as Don began to pace the room. “This kind of radical shift in behavior? There has to be some sort of trigger.”

“Trigger?” David questioned from his seat “like what?”

“I can tell you what a textbook would say,” Megan explained. “Statistically, it’s things like a near-death experience. A person can exhibit an extreme shift in behavior if they survived a plane crash. Another could be a person who’s told they only have a month to live, may act on fantasies of an alter ego.”

“Doesn’t fit, though in this case” Colby objected. “The autopsy would have flagged that.”

“All right, so what else?” Don inquired leaning on the table.

“Uh, parental instinct” Megan offered “the perception of a serious threat to a child.”

“That also doesn’t fit” Colby spoke up again “I mean, her father said she doesn’t have kids, right?”

Don thought about his talk with the man for a second and the pictures in the house realization hitting him “but there was a brother, right?” he asked, gesturing to David who had also been there for the interview “the old man said she practically raised him.”

“Yeah,” David nodded in agreement, sitting up in his seat.

“A younger sibling could be the trigger, if they had developed that kind of relationship” Megan agreed.

“Younger brothers can definitely be a trigger, trust me on that one” Don stated with an edge of humor before going back to business mode turning to David “why don’t you go talk to the old man see if you can get an address on the son.” the agent nodded and started grabbing his things “I mean, I want to get everything we can on this kid, right?”

Colby grabbed his things and followed David out of the room. When it was just them Megan turned to Don. “Speaking of parental instincts, how's that daughter of yours doing?”

“Abby? She’s fine” Don shrugged.

“Really? I mean it can’t be easy being a sixteen year old kid in college” Megan voiced.

Don scoffed “she complains less about it than she did about high school so” he shrugged.

“Well since she’s in a house full of men. Why don’t you tell her if she ever needs a woman’s advice she can have my number” Megan offered.

“Thanks” Don smiled at his partner before she turned and left. Don shifted some files and thought a bit to himself. He’d never thought about it before but Abby was constantly surrounded by guys. The only female influence in her life right now that he could think of was Amita. Was that why she had been so weird about the barbecue?

Don doubted it. Maybe he was just coming to weird conclusions. Maybe the barbecue wasn’t even an issue and she was just preoccupied with the class she was about to walk into when he asked. No, she had a look on her face that told him she wasn’t happy about something. He just had no idea what and now he had to figure it out.

As he turned to leave the board caught his attention again. Parental instincts could change behavior. He thought that was a bit of an understatement.

_______________

Abby POV.

“Oh come on Charlie it couldn’t have been that bad.” Alan objected from the kitchen as the mathematician sulked at the dining room table.

“Actually, I truly can’t explain how awful it was,” Charlie muttered as Alan came out and sat a mug of hot tea down in front of his son and two plates of cake, one for him and one for me.

“Oh, I don’t understand it.” Gramps grumbled “You and Amita. You always got along so well.”

Charlie shrugged “I’m just as confused as you are”

“Yeah well, maybe it’ll be better next time, hmm?” Alan suggested as I just ate my cake and read quietly.

“Yeah, I don’t think there’s going to be a next time in the future” Uncle C sighed as my father entered the house through the front door.

“No, no, you do not give up.” Alan objected. “You never give up”

“Who’s giving up what?” Don inquired.

“Charlie. He blew his first date with Amita” Gramps informed.

“And he’s being very pouty about it,” I added, earning me a small glare from my uncle.

“I wouldn’t say that I- I blew it, Dad or that I’m pouting” the professor objected. “I mean that’s…” he trailed off as Alan gave him a look “yeah, maybe I blew it.”

“And are pouty” I chimed in and got another half hearted glare.

“Wait, what happened, buddy?” Don asked, shedding his coat.

“It���s just we found out that we really don’t have much to talk about outside math” Charlie explained as Gramps got to his feet.

“And you can’t talk about math because?” I questioned.

“Well it’s our work and we want to talk about more than just work” Charlie muttered.

“Oh, man.” Don sighed “Yeah, I know about that. Maybe it’s an Eppes thing you know? When Terry and I started dating, the first thing we said was we weren’t going to talk about work, right? You know, not a word.”

“Don’t say it’s an Eppes thing cuz that curses me too” I complained.

“Hey last I checked your last name was still Calvin so you get exempt” Don pointed out.

“So, how’d you work it out?” Alan inquired, handing his eldest the beer he had just retrieved from the kitchen. “With Terry?’

“Well, I mean, she’s back with her ex but..” Don murmured.

“That’s really very encouraging,” Charlie grumbled sarcastically.

“I didn't mean it like that” Don objected with a slight chuckle “I’m sorry. It’s different with you guys. You’ll work it out.” Charlie just let off a breath. “Meanwhile, I’m hitting a wall with this case.”

“You haven’t found them yet?” Charlie inquired.

“Found who?” Alan asked as Don headed back into the foyer to grab his file off the table.

“A mother and her eight year old daughter, kidnapped.” Don informed heading into the living room with his file.

“That’s horrible,” Alan declared.

“This is the same case with the car key code thing?” I asked.

“Yeah” Charlie replied with a nod as the three of us stood to follow Don into the living room. I brought my book and slice of cake with me.

“Who took them?” Gramps questioned.

“I don’t know yet” Don explained sitting on the couch “I mean, we got this one suspect who’s a bookie, and we think there’s some connection, but we got these files off his computer, and they’re impossible to analyze”

“What are you looking for in here?” Charlie questioned, going to look over the file Don offered him as I sat on the couch next to my father. .

“Well, I mean, the people who financed the operation.” Don explained “this guy’s been running bets through a website called Statswire that dead-ends at a URL in China. And with all the money he’s pulling in and paying out, we can’t tell the difference between the backer and bettors.”

“Well these abbreviations may be names and dates” Uncle C suggested looking the file over “but the numbers in this column here 35-17-11” he muttered as Gramps went to look over his shoulder. “23-17-5, 24-12-3 ½? Yeah I’m assuming that they’re part of some sort of odds making, but they just appear to be at random and they can’t be.”

“You’re right. They’re not random” Alan voiced as I shifted my cake away from my thieving father.

“What are you talking about?” Don inquired.

“Where’s that paper?” Alan muttered standing up and going over to a stack of newspapers “this weekend’s football scores.” he stated grabbing the paper he was looking for and coming back over as we all huddled over the file to look. “Let me see. 35-17-11 here.” he pointed to the newspaper “the Packers beat the Vikings 35-17, and the spread was 11”

“Whoa,” Don murmured.

“Nice catch Gramps” I said with a slight smirk.

“Thank you. 23-17-5. That here, Niners in San Diego, five-point spread, right?” Alan found another “24 to 12 was the Jaguars over the Colts. Huh?”

“Let me see that” Don took the paper and looked it over.

“3 ½ was a ridiculous spread” Gramps commented “I took the Jaguars and made a hundred bucks”

“What, you have a bookie?” Don questioned his father in surprise.

“Busted,” I murmured.

“Should I have a lawyer present?” Alan replied.

“No, I’ll let you slide.” Don murmured looking back over the paper. As I chuckled lightly.

“Wait a minute. If this column is the point spread, I can use it to calculate the ratio of winners to losers” Charlie explained “and potentially trace the payouts and the money flow.”

“Yay teamwork” I murmured.

“Says the girl who sat there eating cake the entire time” Don pointed out. I just shrugged with a smirk.

_________________

3rd POV.

Don got out of his car with a sigh. He was relieved that she had at least thought to text him this time. As he made his way across the grass to his daughter she glanced up at him before her eyes became fixated on the ground.

He sat down next to her in front of the head stone. After a moment of silence he finally spoke “what’s wrong?”

“Why do you assume something’s wrong?” Abby replied, still not looking up at him and she fiddled with her blinders in her hand.

“Because I know you well enough now to know when something’s bothering you” he replied softly. Abby shifted but didn’t speak. “You know if you don’t want to have a party or something for your birthday that’s fine. It’s okay if you don’t even want to celebrate it but I’d like to know why” he explained.

“It’s not that I don’t want to celebrate it” Abby objected. “It’s just-” she took a shaky breath “I suddenly have people to celebrate with and I’ve never had that before because-” she cut off.

“Because what?” Don encouraged.

She took another deep breath “last year we sat here and I told you how much I love and miss my mom now I’m sitting here and- and I’m just mad at her. I’m mad because she didn’t tell you about me. Didn’t let us meet sooner because I spent nearly sixteen years of my life not knowing you, or Grandpa, or Uncle C and because I want to have that stupid barbecue with you guys and I wish I could have had that sooner but-” Abby cut off again and tears rolled down her cheek. “I’m never going to see her again and all I am is mad at her”

Don wrapped a gentle arm around Abby pulling her closer. “Listen Abby, the last year of my life spent with you has been an incredible time. We’ve gotten to know each other and despite some preconceived notions I haven’t managed to screw up being a dad too bad. Right?” Abby scoffed at the last statement, sniffing back her tears. “That said I was a very different person years ago when I met your mother. And the truth is I don’t know if I could have been the father I would have wanted to be to you all those years ago. Heck I’m not even sure I’m the father I want for you right now.” he bit his lip pausing before he continued “not having you in my life all these years… it hurt and when I found out honestly I was mad too but- but I know your mother loved you Abbs and she only did what she did. She only kept this secret because she loved you and she thought it was the best for you.”

“I know,” Abby sighed.

“And now we do have each other and the rest of my crazy family,” he muttered, making her laugh a little. “It’s me and you kid and I’m not going anywhere”

“Thanks dad” she murmured sniffing back tears “but I’m still mad”

“I know,” Don murmured, pulling Abby into a hug “but I’m sure you’ve been mad at your mom before. She can take it and one day you’ll figure out how to forgive her, trust me.”

Chapter 16 ->

[mysticalhearth]

P

Parade - Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center - February 16, 2015 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jeremy Jordan (Leo Frank), Laura Benanti (Lucille Frank), Charlie Franklin (Frankie Epps), Emerson Steele (Mary Phagan), John Ellison Conlee (Hugh Dorsey), Alan Campbell (Governor John Slaton), Joshua Henry (Jim Conley), Nathaniel Stampley (Newt Lee), Andy Mientus (Britt Craig), Eric Anderson (J.N. Starnes), Davis Gaines (Judge Roan), Ramin Karimloo (Tom Watson), Andrea Jones-Sojola (Minola McKnight), Katie Rose Clarke (Mrs. Phagan), Rachel de Benedet (Sally Slaton), John Jellison (Mr. Peavy), Caitlin Houlahan (Iola Stover), Allie Trimm (Essie), Ephie Aardema (Monteen), John Jellison (Luther Rosser), Andrea Jones-Sojola (Angela), Charlie Franklin (Young Confederate Soldier), Eric Leviton (Officer Ivery), Nathaniel Stampley (Riley) NOTES: A fantastic capture of this one-night-only concert at Avery Fisher Hall. Jeremy and Laura give incredible performances, as does Joshua Henry and too many others to name. Jason Robert Brown gives a speech after the curtain call. Truly an epic night of theatre. This is a very near perfect video with no obstruction and only slight washout in wide shots. There are two quick dropouts in the first few minutes, but the concert is otherwise fully captured. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call, Jason’s speech, and playbill scans. Parade - Broadway - December 8, 1998 (Preview) (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Brent Carver (Leo Frank), Carolee Carmello (Lucille Frank), Kirk McDonald (Frankie Epps), Christy Carlson Romano (Mary Phagan), Herndon Lackey (Hugh Dorsey), John Hickok (Governor John Slaton), Rufus Bonds Jr (Jim Conley), Evan Pappas (Britt Craig), Don Chastain (Judge Roan), John Leslie Wolfe (Tom Watson), Jessica Molaskey (Mrs. Phagan), Brooke Sunny Moriber (Iola Stover), Megan McGinnis NOTES: Made from closed-circuit system in Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Stage shot entire time; decent picture and good sound. Also possibly from February 27, 1999. Parade - Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles - November 1, 2009 (Matinee) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: T R Knight (Leo Frank), Lara Pulver (Lucille Frank), Curt Hansen (Frankie Epps), Rose Sezniak (Mary Phagan), Michael Berresse (Governor John Slaton), David St Louis (Jim Conley), Davis Gaines (Judge Roan), PJ Griffith (Tom Watson) NOTES: Released as 2 Disc DVD. One short blackout in the first act, and some washout in the wides; very little obstruction with some heads on the bottom and the sides, but nothing major; good clear and steady video with nice picture and sound. Passion - Netherlands - 2004 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Vera Mann (Fosca), Stanley Burleson (Giorgio), Pia Douwes (Clara) Peter Pan (National Theatre) - London - 2016-, 2017 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Paul Hilton (Peter Pan), Anna Francolini (Captain Hook), Madeleine Worrall (Wendy Darling), Marc Antolin (John Darling), John Pfumojena (Michael Darling), Felix Hayes (Mr Darling), Saikat Ahamed (Tinkerbell), Felix Hayes (Smee), Saikat Ahamed (Curly), Lois Chimimba (Tiger Lily), Lois Chimimba (Slightly), Laura Cubitt (Twin One), Felix Hayes (Twin Two), Amaka Okafor (Jane), Ekow Quartey (Nana), Ekow Quartey (Tootles), Anna Francolini (Mrs. Darling) Phantom (Yeston/Kopit) - North Shore Music Theatre - 1994 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ron Baker (Erik/The Phantom), Kristin Chenoweth (Christine Daaé), Marc Kudisch (Count Philippe de Chandon), Michael Dantuono (Gérard Carrière), SuEllen Estey (Carlotta) Phantom (Yeston/Kopit) - Takarazuka - 2011 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Tomu Ranju (Erik/The Phantom), Ranno Hana (Christine Daaé)

Piaf - The Netherlands - January 9, 2009 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Liesbeth List (Edith Piaf), Esther Roord (Toine), Daphne Flint (Young Edith Piaf), Geert Hoes (Marcel), Ara Halici (Paul), Jan Elbertse (Lucien), Eliane Feijen (Madeleine) Pippin - Broadway Revival - July 13, 2013 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Patina Miller (Leading Player), Matthew James Thomas (Pippin), Terrence Mann (Charles), Charlotte d'Amboise (Fastrada), Andrea Martin (Berthe), Rachel Bay Jones (Catherine), Erik Altemus (Lewis), Ashton Woerz (Theo) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the 2013 Tony Winning Revival. I certainly see why Patina and Andrea won their Tonys. A sleek and stunning revival with performances and ideas to die for! Certainly not to be missed! A Pippin - Broadway Revival - June 14, 2014 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Ciara Renée (Leading Player), Kyle Dean Massey (Pippin), Terrence Mann (Charles), Charlotte d'Amboise (Fastrada), Andrea Martin (Berthe), Rachel Bay Jones (Catherine), Erik Altemus (Lewis), Andrew Cekala (Theo) NOTES: Wonderful HD capture of the new leads who have joined the cast. The show is still in top shape, Kyle gives a great Pippin and beautiful voice to match! Ciara gives some great vocal variations of her own. A Pippin - Broadway Revival - December 30, 2014 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Working on uploading, PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST CAST: Carly Hughes (Leading Player), Josh Kaufman (Pippin), John Dossett (Charles), Charlotte d'Amboise (Fastrada), Priscilla Lopez (Berthe), Rachel Bay Jones (Catherine), Mike Schwitter (Lewis), Eli Tokash (Theo)   Pippin - World AIDS Day Benefit Concert - November 29, 2004 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Ben Vereen (Leading Player), Billy Porter (Leading Player), Darius de Haas (Leading Player), Kate Shindle (Leading Player), Rosie O’Donnell (Leading Player), Michael Arden (Pippin), Terrence Mann (Charles), Julia Murney (Fastrada), Charles Busch (Berthe), Laura Benanti (Catherine), Cameron Mathison (Lewis), Harrison Chad (Theo), Adam Fleming, Barrett Foa, Caitlin van Zandt, Cheyenne Jackson, Colin Hanlon, Erin Quill, Jenna Leigh Green, Jennifer Malenke, John Tartaglia, Jordan Gelber, Josh Young, Julie Garnye, Kate Pazakis, Kearran Giovanni, Kristoffer Cusick, Marty Thomas, Michael Longoria, Natalie Joy Johnson, Randy Redd, Robb Sapp, Sara Chase, Sriram Ganesan NOTES: If you've been wanting to see Rosie O'Donnell perform "Magic To Do" with a dancer in a bikini top grinding up on her, then look no further! *Ben Vereen, Darius de Haas, Billy Porter, Rosie O'Donell, Kate Shindle as the leading players The Pirate Queen - Broadway - March 24, 2007 (Preview) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) The Pirate Queen - Broadway - April 11, 2007 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) The Pirate Queen - Broadway - April 13, 2007 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) NOTES: Wonderful crystal clear capture and top notch amazing performances. Much improved from Chicago version. Includes performance on the the View. A+ The Pirate Queen - Pre-Broadway / Chicago - October 8, 2006 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST. Working on uploading :) CAST: Stephanie J Block (Grace (Gráinne) O'Malley), Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Hadley Fraser (Tiernan), Marcus Chait (Donal O'Flaherty), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara), William Youmans (Sir Richard Bingham) The Play That Goes Wrong - Broadway - May, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Mark Evans (Chris Bean), Preston Truman Boyd (Robert Grove), Jonathan Fielding (Jonathan Harris), Amelia McClain (Sandra Wilkinson), Alex Mandell (Max Bennett), Harrison Unger (Dennis Tyde), Ashley Bryant (Annie Twilliol), Akron Watson (Trevor Watson) NOTES: (not Master's notes) Beginning from pre-show where the comedy 'bit' of the set breaking starts. Throughout, very clearly shot with no obstructions, in a mixture of wides and closes, following the action well. I think it's shot from the front of the circle. Once or twice the camera falls but never during key moments, and is quickly fixed. No long blackouts. Audience energy is great. The Play That Goes Wrong - West End (Duchess Theatre) - March, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Ross Green (Chris Bean), Tom Bulpett (s/b Robert Grove), James Watterson (e/c Jonathan Harris), Ellie Morris (Sandra Wilkinson), Milo Clarke (Max Bennett), Michael Keene (Dennis Tyde), Leah Penston (s/b Annie Twilliol), Blayar Benn (Trevor Watson) Pokémon Live! - First National Tour - December 30, 2000 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Dominic Nolfi (Ash Ketchum), Heidi Michelle Weyhmueller (Misty), Dennis Kenney (Brock), Darren Dunstan (Giovanni), Lauren Kling (Jessie), Andrew Rannells (James), Dee Roscioli (Delia Ketchum), Patrick Frankfort (Professor Oak), Jennifer Risser (Pikachu), Kathleen Roche (Meowth), Leah Smith (Psyduck), Shaun Bradley (Mewtwo), Leah Smith (Jigglypuff), Natalie Weld (Nurse Joy), Suzanne Wogisch (Officer Jenny), Sinclair Mitchell (Dexter) NOTES: HOUSE-CAM and soundboard. Shot from the back of the theatre with some washout. Upgraded file with audience heads cut out and cropped image retaining all action Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience - Off-Broadway - May 23, 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner NOTES: All seven Harry Potter books condensed into seventy minutes. Full/mid stage shot. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Broadway - January 16, 2019 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Adam Pascal (t/r Edward Lewis), Jennifer Sanchez (u/s Kit De Luca) NOTES: A lot of washout. Wide shot. Shot from the mez. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Broadway - February, 2019 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Adam Pascal (Edward Lewis), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Jason Danieley (Philip Stuckey), Kingsley Leggs (James Morse), Orfeh (Kit De Luca), Tommy Bracco (Giulio) NOTES: (not Master notes) Seems a fantastic capture of the show. Virtually no dropouts, obstructions and spotlight washout. Filmed more centre than the preview recording by the same master; mix of wides, mediums and some closeups; very good capture of the sets and actor choreography. Both are worth watching. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Broadway - July, 2018 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Andy Karl (Edward Lewis), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Jason Danieley (Philip Stuckey), Ezra Knight (James Morse), Orfeh (Kit De Luca), Allison Blackwell (Violetta), Tommy Bracco (Giulio), Brian Cali (Fred/Alfredo), Robby Clater (David Morse), Anna Eilinsfeld (Susan/Scarlett) NOTES: (not Master notes) Seems a fantastic capture of the show. Virtually no dropouts or obstructions. More spotlight washout than the Feb 2019 recording by the same master, but it's very minimal. Filmed at slight angle and with more closeups compared to the other recording. Very good capture of the actors' expressions. Both are worth watching. Pretty Woman: The Musical - Hamburg - September 25, 2019 (Preview) (Rumpel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Patricia Meeden (Vivian Ward), Mark Seibert (Edward Lewis), Paul Kribbe (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Nigel Casey (Philip Stuckey), Frank Logemann (James Morse), Maricel (Kit De Luca) Pretty Woman: The Musical - Pre-Broadway/Chicago - April 13, 2018 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Samantha Barks (Vivian Ward), Steve Kazee (Edward Lewis), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson/Happy Man), Jason Danieley (Philip Stuckey), Kingsley Leggs (James Morse), Orfeh (Kit De Luca) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the PreBroadway production. This includes Steve as Edward before he left the production prior to Broadway. Such a fun show with terrific performances and a rare glimpse of Steve in the role! A Pride and Prejudice - TheatreWorks Silicon Valley - December, 2019 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Mary Mattison (Elizabeth Bennet), Sharon Rietkerk (Jane Bennet), Justin Mortelliti (Fitzwilliam Darcy), Travis Leland (Charles Bingley), Monique Hafen (Caroline Bingley) NOTES: Streamed by TheaterMania on April 10, 2020. Hosted by Julie James, Laura Osnes, and Beth Leavel. The Prince of Egypt - West End - March 5, 2020 (BwaytoWestEnd's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Gary Wilmot (Jethro), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Queen Tuya), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved) NOTES: Approx 12 gb stageshot filmed from stalls. Audio is awful most of the time. Master of this is BwaytoWestEnd The Prince of Egypt - West End - February, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Gary Wilmot (Jethro), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Queen Tuya), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved), Iman Pabani (Young Miriam/Leah/Young Hebrew Girl), Leo Babet (Young Aaron/Young Egyptian Boy/Young Midian Boy) NOTES: This video is never to be publicly shared on YouTube, tumblr, Facebook, Stage Dork etc. The Prince of Egypt - West End - February, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master)

FORMAT: video CAST: Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Gary Wilmot (Jethro), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Queen Tuya), Tanisha Spring (Nefertari), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved), Iman Pabani (Young Miriam/Leah/Young Hebrew Girl), Leo Babet (Young Aaron/Young Egyptian Boy/Young Midian Boy) NOTES: This video is never to be publicly shared on YouTube, tumblr, Facebook, Stage Dork etc. The Producers - Hollywood Bowl - July 28, 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Richard Kind (Max Bialystock), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Leo Bloom), Gary Beach (Roger De Bris), Roger Bart (Carmen Ghia), Rebecca Romijn (Ulla), Dane Cook (Franz Liebkind) NOTES: Excellent capture of this year's Hollywood Bowl production. Action is followed well with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The first minute of the show is missing, and the next few minutes are a bit shaky with scattered blackouts, but after "The King of Broadway" it settles and the majority of the show is captured nicely. SPOILER: Before "Keep It Gay" started, when Roger says "What's the word?" someone from the audience shouted out "Gay" which sent the cast into a laughing fit. The Prom - Broadway - August 11, 2019 (Matinee) (Closing Night) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma Nolan), Brooks Ashmanskas (Barry Glickman), Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Michael Genet (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Courtenay Collins (Mrs. Greene), Josh Lamon (Sheldon Saperstein), Becca Lee (Kaylee), Kalyn West (Shelby), Teddy Toye (Nick), Josh Franklin (Motel Clerk), Drew Redington (Kevin), Courtney Balan (Olivia Keating), Anthony Norman, Brittany Conigatti, Fernell Hogan, Jack Sippel, Jerusha Cavazos, Joomin Hwang, Mary Antonini, Shelby Finnie, Sheldon Henry, Vasthy Mompoint NOTES: Gift upon request. Unobstructed closing performance with the full cast! Starts in the beginning of "Changing Lives" and is a little washed out. For whatever reason my camera was mad at me and didn't want to focus in the beginning of Act One. It warmed up and got better, and to be honest I opted for wider shots because everyone was doing crazy things and I didn't want to miss anything. I stood up for all but one of the standing ovations and when I did so I have no idea what my camera did or what it was looking at. I would say sorry but it wouldn't be true. I'm just so damn proud of all of these people. Please do not post this bootleg publicly! The Prom - Broadway - February, 2019 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma Nolan), Josh Lamon (u/s Barry Glickman), Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Michael Genet (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Courtenay Collins (Mrs. Greene), David Josefsberg (u/s Sheldon Saperstein) NOTES: Excellent capture! Josh mistakenly mentions Alyssa in 'Tonight Belongs to You' despite not being meant to know her name at this point. The last three minutes of the show are from a different performance, during previews, with Brooks Ashmanskas as Barry and Josh Lamon as Sheldon, but it is a full video in total. The Prom - Broadway - March, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Gabi Campo (u/s Emma Nolan), Brooks Ashmanskas (Barry Glickman), Isabelle McCalla (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Michael Potts (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Courtenay Collins (Mrs. Greene), David Josefsberg (u/s Sheldon Saperstein), Becca Lee (Kaylee), Susie Carroll (s/w Shelby), Teddy Toye (Nick), Drew Redington (Kevin), Courtney Balan (Olivia Keating) NOTES: This video starts at "Dance With You" and is super focused on Gabi. There are less heads in this than most of my videos and a railing that gets in the way occasionally, but they were mostly worked around. The cast as a whole is doing top notch work, though at times you can tell that Brooks and Izzy are just back from being sick. Overall this is a really great video of one of my favorite shows, and I'm really proud of myself for containing my crying at the end of act one. The Prom - Pre-Broadway / Atlanta - September 17, 2016 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Caitlin Kinnunen (Emma Nolan), Brooks Ashmanskas (Barry Glickman), Anna Grace Barlow (Alyssa Greene), Beth Leavel (Dee Dee Allen), Christopher Sieber (Trent Oliver), Martin Moran (Mr. Hawkins), Angie Schworer (Angie), Josh Lamon (Sheldon Saperstein) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the Pre-Broadway tryout. A really touching and funny new musical, led by a hilarious cast of Broadway veterans. A perfect mix of comedy and drama.

[womenofcolor15]

Quavo & Saweetie Pack On The PDA At GQ Men of the Year Bash + Jesse Williams & Taylour Paige, Offset, Lil Nas X & More Bring The Fashion & Fun

Quavo and Saweetie pack on the PDA at GQ's Men of the Year party in LA. See their coupledom flicks, plus shots of Jesse Williams and his girlfriend Taylour Paige, Offset, Lil Nas X and more inside...

A couple that slays together!

Hip Hop couple Quavo and Saweetie are madly in love and they aren’t afraid to show it. The super cute couple had the fashion game on lock when they rolled up on the carpet at the 2019 GQ Men Of The Year Party held at The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel in LA.

Their energy was infectious and they really seemed to be enjoying one another’s company on the carpet, getting kissy and giving each other the “eyes.” Even if they started off as a couple for PR purposes - allegedly - they seem to have made it into something real.

And it works. 

Recently, the ICY raptress took to Twitter to air out her frustrations with being profiled in luxury stores. She didn't call out the names of any stores, but chick shared how annoyed she is over the stupid ish (read from the bottom up) :

  We're sick of it too, sis. 

Back at the party...

Quavo's cousin/Migos bandmate Offset was all smiles in a tailored suit at the party, sans his wife Cardi B.

The Migos snapped it up with the homies during the shindig.

Another couple was all in the loved up in the mix too. "Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams and his girlfriend/ZOLA actress Taylour Paige kept it cute during the festivities.

        View this post on Instagram

                  Wanna hear a story!!??? ZOLA SUNDANCE 2020 @zolarmoon @janicza

A post shared by Taylour Paige (@taylour) on Dec 4, 2019 at 3:00pm PST

  ZOLA - the first movie based on a viral Twitter thread - will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month.

After dominating the music charts in 2019, Lil Nas X was in the mix for some fun. We wonder what he has in store for 2020.

EJ Johnson - Magic Johnson's son - never disappoints for a red carpet situation. He donned his usual all black everything.

We see you, EJ!

Comedian/actor Mike Epps snapped it up with Nigerian stylist Mobolaji Dawodu.

The comedian has been busy on tour taking his "The Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival" across the nation.

"STAR" actor Quincy Brown was all smiles on the carpet, looking like the male version of his late mother, Kim Porter.

The mother-of-four died a little over a year ago.

All white! Diggy Simmons - Rev. Run's son - kept it clean on the carpet. He released his second studio album, Lighten Up, last year.

We're not exactly sure what's going on with NBA player Nick Young's 'fit...

Y'all feelin' this?

Rapper Jxmmi - 1/2 of Hip Hop duo Rae Sremmurd - got jazzy for the event.

And comedian Keegan-Michael Key kept it simple in a black suit for the bash. 

Fab times.

Photos: MEGA/Getty/Startraks/Instar

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2019/12/12/quavo-saweetie-pack-on-the-pda-at-gq-men-of-the-year-bash-jesse-williams-taylour-paige-of

[tkstreyes]

Preferred Tropes

ayyy we are switching it up! tagged by the lovely stef @bellakitse

bold your preferred tropes

slow burn or love at first sight // fake dating and secret dating // enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers // oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance correspondence // hurt/comfort or amnesia // fantasy au or modern au // mutual pining and domestic bliss // smut and fluff // canon-compliant or fix-it (depends on the fandom) // reincarnation or character death // one-shot and multi chapter // kid fic or road trip fic // arranged marriage or accidental marriage // high school romances or middle aged romance // time travel or isolated together // neighbors or roommates (OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES) // sci-fi au or magic au // body swap or genderbend // angst or crack // apocalyptic or mundane

feel free to do this if you wanna! @reyesstrand @don-eppes @buckleyevan @tkandbuck

[hellbells101]

Chapters: 40/56 Fandom: NCIS, JAG, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-0 (2010), NCIS: New Orleans, Stargate Atlantis, Suits (TV), House M.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago PD (TV), Arrow (TV 2012), The Blacklist (TV), Leverage, The Martian (2015), Lie to Me (TV), Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), Teen Wolf (TV), Numb3rs, Nashville (TV), James Bond (Craig movies), Sherlock (TV), White Collar, Olympus Has Fallen (Movies), Stargate SG-1, Eureka (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo/Harmon Rabb Jr., Anthony DiNozzo/Spencer Reid, Anthony DiNozzo/Steve McGarrett, past Anthony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo/Dwayne Pride, Anthony DiNozzo/Danny "Danno" Williams, Anthony DiNozzo/Leon Vance, Anthony DiNozzo/John Sheppard, Anthony DiNozzo/Mike Ross, Anthony DiNozzo/Kelly Severide, Anthony DiNozzo/Greg House, Anthony DiNozzo/Hank Voight, Anthony DiNozzo/Tobias Fornell, Anthony DiNozzo/Oliver Queen, Anthony DiNozzo/Raymond "Red" redington, Anthony DiNozzo/Eliot Spencer, Anthony DiNozzo/Mark Watney, Anthony DiNozzo/Cal Lightman, Anthony DiNozzo/Jack Ryan, Anthony DiNozzo/Sheriff Stilinksi, Anthony DiNozzo/Aaron Hotchner, Anthony DiNozzo/Ian Edgerton, Anthony DiNozzo/Will Lexington, Anthony DiNozzo/David Rossi, Anthony DiNozzo/James Bond, Anthony DiNozzo/Mycroft Holmes, Anthony DiNozzo/Rodney McKay, Neal Caffrey/Anthony DiNozzo, Anthony DiNozzo/James Wilson, Anthony DiNozzo/Tom Morrow, Anthony DiNozzo/Mike Banning, Anthony DiNozzo/Peter Hale, Anthony DiNozzo/Daniel Jackson, Anthony DiNozzo/Ronon Dex, Anthony DiNozzo/Jack Carter Characters: Anthony DiNozzo, Harmon Rabb Jr., Derek Morgan, Steve McGarrett, Jethro Gibbs, Dwayne "King" Pride, Danny "Danno" Williams, John Sheppard, Jack O'Neill, Mike Ross, Kelly Severide, Matt Casey, Greg House, Hank Voight, Alvin Olinsky, Erin Lindsay, Tobias Fornell, Oliver Queen, Eliot Spencer, Mark Watney, Cal Lightman, Gillian Foster, Annie Montrose, Teddy Sanders, Jack Ryan (Jack Ryan & Related Fandoms), Sheriff Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski, Don Eppes, Will Lexington, David Rossi, James Bond, Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Q, Neal Caffrey, James Wilson, Tom Morrow, Mike Banning, Lynne Jacobs, Peter Hale, Daniel Jackson, Ronon Dex, Jack Carter (Eureka) Additional Tags: little black book, unconnected one-shots, Tags to be added, Alternate Universe, Angst Series: Part 1 of Tales from Tony's Black Book Summary:

All know of Tony's reputation as a lover man. Just what names could be in his little black book? A Series of unconnected one-shots

[livingwithashipname-blog]

Ermanda’s Inner Sanctum: Scorpion Season 3A

This is a general review post on the first half of Scorpion season 3 with my introspective critiques.  To follow my in-depth episode reviews, drabbles, and thought pieces for Scorpion (and other shows), follow the tag “ermanda’s inner sanctum” for more.  This post is long so read at your own risk! 😜😂😂😂😂😂

I think this portion of the season resolved season 2 cliffhangers well.  The elements were addressed in a step-down manner that showed adequate research of these topics and didn’t introduce anything too unrealistic in their resolutions.  There were other elements that didn’t deliver because of the quantity over quality conundrum.  I appreciate the exploration of new relationships this season within the cyclone and all the new foreshadowing bits I have witnessed so far.  I am intrigued to see where these stories are going.  Here are some specific things I would like to address. 

Series Goals vs. Time Slot

Various interviews from the showrunners and actors, as well as elements of the show itself, suggest that Scorpion is a family show and will continue to meet this goal over time.  A 10 pm time slot means that there is room to push portions of the show to appeal to more adult audiences.  The showrunners have decided to do this in the type of major storylines introduced and how they are portrayed on screen.  Episode 3.03 It Isn’t The Fall That Kills You is a good example of a grittier portrayal of the Waige dynamic and Happy’s cadmium poisoning that mimicked pregnancy in symptomatology and testing is another example of dealing with the concept of loss that doesn’t involve miscarriage.  However, disillusionment within the fandom exists when the personal storylines don’t fit fandom expectations for a show in a particular time slot.  When the show (in the eyes of fans) fails to deliver on the personal end, it is easy to default to the mission.  If the same happens there, the entire episode feels inadequate.  I am indifferent If Scorpion stays in its 10 pm slot or returns to 9 pm.  I am more concerned about which day it is scheduled.  Mondays are perfect right now.  Tuesdays are too competitive with other networks (gotta save those slots for the network’s heavy hitters - NCIS series), Wednesdays are already devoted to Survivor and Criminal Minds, and Thursdays are devoted to sitcoms.  Scorpion is not a show that fits CBS’s aims for Friday programming and it is not close to an end for the network to push it to Sundays “to live out its last days.”  There are still a large number of shows that have to go and be replaced by new shows.  If the show returns to 9 pm, there are certain ways they have to “censor” the dialogue to fulfill network demands to audiences accessible at that time.  Thus, there will always be this struggle between fulfilling the family goal and pushing the envelope with a 10 pm time slot.  The show has succeeded in some ways, but it can definitely do more with the opportunities the 10 pm time slot provides.  I don’t anticipate any sex scenes beyond the scope of that seen in episode 1.14 Charades for this show, but if that happens in the future I will be pleasantly enthused.  

Comparison to Numb3rs

In a lot of ways, Scorpion feels just like Numb3rs, which is another crime drama that premiered on CBS for 6 seasons.  It’s one of my all-time favorites and currently lives on in syndication on ION television in the US almost 7 years after the series finale.  If you’re not familiar with this series, all 6 seasons are available on Amazon Instant Video with a Prime account and Hulu.  Here’s a synopsis of the series: 

FBI agent Don Eppes recruits his younger brother, Charlie, a mathematical genius and college professor, to help solve some of Don's toughest cases. Although others at the bureau are skeptical of Charlie's involvement, he finds support in a colleague at the university where he teaches.

The show showcased a romantic relationship between Charlie, the math genius, and a fellow colleague who was as equally smart; the nerdy, awkward friend who managed to woo the strong heroine; the difficulties of raising a family where one child is a genius and the other is a normal; the sibling rivalry that exists between brothers because of this dynamic; and much more.  Maybe this is why I flocked to Scorpion so quickly.  And now that Scorpion is up for syndication, it all seems like deja vu.  So I am curious to see if Scorpion will be handled like Numb3rs in the future since both shows are with CBS. 

Areas for Improvement

Suspense/Mystery

I think the show needs to do a better job at CONSISTENTLY creating suspense with each mission’s operational casualties.  For example, I think that the apparent danger of the tornado scene in 2.21 Twist and Shout wouldn’t have fallen flat if it had obscured Walter and Paige for a moment and we only heard their voices while they were holding onto each other for dear life.  That would have given the situation more of a semblance of realism and make us wonder about their safety even though we know that they would survive.  Also, don’t get me started on the wire work in that episode.  Where was the body control?! 😂  For this season, episode 3.10 This Is The Pits comes to mind when Walter got stuck in the tar.  One episode I quickly recall where this is done well is in 2.13 White Out. 

Continuity of Injury & Emotional Fallout

These characters manage to find themselves in dangerous situations mission after mission and heal quickly or they encounter a major emotional event that is resolved in that episode or picked up again 10 episodes later.  Granted, this is expected of procedurals where each episode is set up to tell a new story each week that keeps the casual, periodic viewer engaged and cognizant of the show’s overall goals without the need for 5-6 episodes to fill in the blanks.  Also, the actors talk about this superhero aspect that has been infused into the show.  So this suggests that this is intentional.  However, there have been moments such as Walter’s hand injury and Toby’s post-kidnapping injuries (physical & emotional) that should have been seen for more than 1 episode.  Thus, it would be nice to see the dramatic elements of this show extended in small, subtle ways outside their brief multi-episode arcs that are not foreshadowing elements for later developments and are done in ways that are not easily missed when presented within an episode.  Yet, I will argue that certain things are not as easy to portray on-screen and it is an understandable reality that I am willing to accept in some ways. 

A New Cyclone Hangout 

I would like to see a financial investment in new hangouts that are also used to explore the emotional complexities of the cyclone as is done with the garage rooftop.  These could be anywhere from someone’s living quarters to an unexplored area of the garage.  I use Criminal Minds as a point of reference - another big budget show with a central hub that also explores more locales throughout each season.  Yet, I also consider that these new locales may not be chosen as often as the fans would like to see because investment is an expensive venture that is not fiscally possible given approved plans for the season and what can be accomplished by production within a given time frame.  For example, the backdrop of city scene on the rooftop is CGI, but it takes time and money (paying editors to make it work with actors who are moving in and out of shots) to do it well. 

Better Application of Plausible Scientific Scenarios & Explanation of These Events

I think this point is self-explanatory, but I will refer to a recent scene.  Scott Porter was directed to deliver this lengthy piece of dialogue for his character in 3.10 This Is The Pits and then perform the task afterwards.  This order negatively affected the purpose of the dialogue and the efficiency of the action.  It would have been more realistic for his character to perform the task while reiterating an understanding for the science so it didn’t seem like he dictating a term paper.  I hope that makes sense!  LOL!      

Dropped Storylines

There have been several storylines within this series on a whole that have been introduced and never mentioned again.  But the ones that are problematic are those that contributed to a story arc within a season.  The best example of this would be Sly’s journey to acquire naming rights for the pediatric ward in the hospital Megan spent her last days.  Sly was working on raising enough money to do that.  And it was insinuated that the turnover time was not long.  So... 👀  Is there a plan to work this into his political campaign in the future?  Let’s hope so!

Number of Plots Covered in One Episode

This is another self-explanatory point.  It’s another quality over quantity argument with a show that already gives so much given time constraints.  

BE REALISTIC!!! 😉

There will always be things that we like and do not like with all of our favorite shows.  Does this mean that you should lower the bar of expectation?  No.  However, it is so important to put your expectations in check.  Pay attention to clues within each episode and think about the music choices, the shot selection, and the dialogue to fully understand what is being communicated in that moment and beyond.  In other words, you have to put down your shipper goggles for a minute and use foreshadowing ones.  Hahahaha... but fo real tho!  Recognize production patterns because they are usually good predictors of what to expect from season to season.  I even addressed one in this post.  There are many within this show, but the most prominent is that for the ships.  I’m gonna let you figure that one out! 😉  If you want to talk about it more, drop an inquiry in the inner sanctum (aka. my ask box) or hit me up in the chat! 

A short note on ratings & syndication: Syndication is the evil twin of continuity.  CBS loves its syndication deals.  A show will get renewed if it is up for syndication.  Ratings for 8 & 9 pm shows are always better than those at 10 pm.  The important factor to consider is average consistency.  Even if ratings decline in the US, the network will choose to move forward with episode orders if a show has a good international following (e.g. Elementary).  So if you have international followers who are also fans, ask them to indulge the content in the way it’s available within their country. 

Constant complaints about things that can be fixed are just seen as noise if they are not accompanied with realistic ideas.  They only put up more walls between creators and fans in an era where communication between these two groups is closer than ever.  The reality is that all these comments come with a turnover time of AT LEAST 2 months in which 3-4 episodes have already been written and shot.  If it fits with what’s already established, there’s a chance it might be considered.  But if it doesn’t, expect that idea to get tabled for the latter portion of a season or the next.  It is more advantageous to share your headcanons, set ideas, etc., as it would be done in the writing room and be specific when you do.  If you honestly think no one is watching/reading because your desires have not been met, you are living in the clouds.  That’s how you set yourself to get baited by clever PR moves.  Patience is a virtue.  If a season’s developments still do not suit your fancy, stop with the emotional masochism and either figure out a new way to indulge the content if you still want to stay close to it or drop off entirely.  At the end of the day, EXERCISE YOUR CREATIVE FRUSTRATIONS IN FANFICTION if all else fails!  That’s where everything goes down and I love it!

Kudos to wardrobe because the looks this season are really great!  Kudos to production and art  departments for the amazing cave set of 3.06 Bat Poop Crazy and the cabin set for 3.11 Wreck The Halls.  Kudos to location scouts and the camera crew for capturing scenic beauty in 3.08 Sly and the Family Stone!  Kudos to the showrunners and writers for exploiting the strengths of their cast!  

THAT’S ALL PEEPS!  TOODLES & HAPPY SCORPION MONDAYS!!! 😘

[ao3feed-ncis]

Parley - Jenny's Game

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2XhJ6m6

by cutsycat

Charlie needs to tell Amita about Ian. Heck he needs to tell his family about Ian. The only problem? A couple of NCIS agents show up looking for Ian and turn his life upside down for him. Ever since Gibbs returned from Mexico tensions have been tight on the team as both Tony and him try to lead it. Jenny only has one solution. Unfortunately, she takes it too far.

Words: 3513, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1283 of Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles, Part 43 of One shots - crack, Part 33 of One shots - Tony centric: Increased Recognition

Fandoms: NCIS, Numb3rs (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Ian Edgerton, Charlie Eppes, Jethro Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo, Amita Ramanujan, Don Eppes, Jenny Shepard, Ziva David, Timothy McGee

Relationships: Ian Edgerton/Charlie Eppes

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2XhJ6m6

[drippeddaily]

Album of the Year 2017 #18: 2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

Album of the Year 2017 #18: 2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

Artist: 2 Chainz

Album: Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

Listen:

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Music

Google Play Music

TIDAL

Album Background

”It's always these beautiful girls who like this hustler – who you think would be attracted to a whole other type of music. But they like Migos, Future. You get with this girl, and you want to play Bryson Tiller. But she's like, "I want to hear Gucci." Shit. We're the pop stars. Trap rap is pop now. People's ears have adjusted to what we have to say and how we say it.”

-2 Chainz, Rolling Stone interview, June 2017

  In July of this year, it was reported that hip hop and R&B music had officially surpassed rock ‘n’ roll as the most popular genre of music in the United States. Personally, I feel like rock had already been dethroned years ago and that rap’s dominance was only now made apparent by the implementation of streaming into the Billboard charting system, but nonetheless the shift has sparked debates over the relevance of the musical styles of generations past with millennials who, having grown up with rap and adjusting to it at a young age in a way their parents hadn’t, have essentially claimed the genre as the music of their generation. In the same way that my father’s generation chose Elvis and the Beatles over Frank Sinatra and the like, someone like 2 Chainz could be argued to have a more powerful hold on the youth culture of today than anyone with a guitar.

  Like most people, my first experience with the man born Tauheed Epps was the Lil Wayne featuring “Duffle Bag Boy”, though as it was credited to Playaz Circle I didn’t realize it at the time. The rapper formerly known as Tity Boi made the shift to 2 Chainz not long thereafter, and by the time he released his T.R.U. Realigion mixtape in 2011 he was certifiably one of the hottest up-and-coming rappers in the world, a full decade and half after he’d started his career. The year after he released his major label debut Based on a T.R.U. Story, a platinum selling album in a pre-streaming era (no easy feat) with three major hit singles. History would dictate that Mr. Chainz would be able to ride off the success of this album to further hits and commercial viability in the years to come, and while his string of golden features on others’ tracks continued to flourish, his own solo material began to falter. B.O.A.T.S. II was released one year after its predecessor but sold less than half as many copies and failed to produce a top 40 single. For the next few years Tity released a few mixtapes and EPs, along with a collaborative project with Lil Wayne, but nothing seemed to resonate with audiences like his material in the early part of the decade had.

  Suddenly, however, it became apparent that as trap music became more and more engrained into the mainstream consciousness, so too did 2 Chainz’s popularity begin to get a second wind of sorts. This is adeptly referenced in the title to his third studio album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music: it’s a testament to how far rap has come in its mission of taking over the airwaves in recent years and how, while the young women of yesteryear’s generation may have been more enamored with artists who were strictly pop, the more melodic style of trap music that has infiltrated the game this decade has taken pop’s place as the go-to music for the youth.

  The general consensus surrounding 2 Chainz up until now was that he worked better as a feature and/or “punchline” rapper than a legitimate album artist. 2 Chainz perhaps recognized that, having fallen from his peak hype levels in the first half of the decade, he needed to put out something truly special to keep people interested in his music. As such, he chose to downplay the more humorous aspects of his verses on Pretty Girls and instead focus on the grittier, drug dealing aspects of his upbringing, along with the usual foray into pussy, money, weed and braggadocio that is almost a requirement for mainstream rap nowadays. He enlisted the help of prior collaborators Mike Will Made-It and Honorable C.N.O.T.E. to provide beats, alongside newcomers such as Murda Beatz and Buddah Bless and industry legends like Pharrell and Mike Dean, amongst others. There’s also a “who’s who” of 2017 mainstream rap on the features list, with Drake, Migos, Travis Scott, Swae Lee, Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, Ty Dolla Sign and others all making appearances. He also utilized a unique promotional tactics for the record: he rented a “trap house” in Atlanta that he had painted completely pink and donned it with the album’s logo on the front, and also ran a “trap salon” for girls to get their nails done with song titles inspiring the designs.

  Pretty Girls ended up becoming one of the biggest sleeper hits of the 2017 summer rap season. It sold over 100,000 album equivalent units in its first week in the United States and garnered 2 Chainz the highest critical praise he had received in his career up to that point. Less than 3 months after its release, it had been certified gold, his first RIAA certified record since his platinum selling debut. Pretty Girls has produced a run of hit singles that were mainstays on rap stations this year, and the album has been considered nothing but a success for Mr. Chainz.

  But is it actually any good?

  Review

Pretty Girls Like Trap Music begins with a few rapid piano hits and, ironically enough, a blazing guitar line that would be feel more at home in the rock music that trap artists like 2 Chainz had helped displace at the top of the charts. Tity uses the opener to reminisce about his past and the things he’s done to get him to where he is today. The subject matter fits the Mike Will production nicely and overall this serves as a great way to start the album off.

  The title of the following track “Riverdale Rd” is a reference to a street in Atlanta, 2 Chainz’s hometown. The beat almost sounds like a trap reinterpretation of the Psycho soundtrack, courtesy of DJ Mano. Similar to the song preceding it, Tity makes reference in his lyrics to his younger days of hustling and drug dealing and how it contrasts with his life in the present day. This is undeniably one of the hardest tracks on the album.

  “Good Drank”, the first official single that had previously appeared on 2016’s Hibachi for Lunch mixtape, follows next. This was the first song I’d heard off the project and it quickly became an obsession, mostly due to the damn near perfect synth lead that opens the song. The patented Mike Dean Magic™ is all over this thing: a beautiful concoction of drums and melodies that stick to your ear and refuse to leave. 2 Chainz’s verse follows the standard for what the majority of the album’s content will ultimately consist of: money, cars and drug dealing. Quavo’s hook is infectious (the “Nooo-ooo-ooo” melodies following the “no hot box” line are great in particular) and Gucci’s verse, while nothing spectacular, fits with the track.

  The Travis Scott-featuring “4 AM” follows, with production from 2017’s most breakout producer Murda Beatz. Placing this woozy instrumental directly after “Good Drank” was a solid move as they almost feel like compliments to one another. Tity harkens back to the past again, “reminiscing ‘bout the trap, playin’ the first Carter” and references the projects he’s put out since B.O.A.T.S. II, namely a series of EPs and his collaborative project with Lil Wayne from the year before. La Flame’s performance on the chorus is pretty standard for him but given how awesome he generally is on hook duty this isn’t really a complaint. Could’ve benefitted from an actual verse from Travis but this is solid nonetheless.

  “Door Swangin’” boasts the first of four Buddah Bless productions on the album. Pretty standard trap stuff on this one, both in terms of lyrics and music. The running theme of the album seems to be drug dealing first and foremost and that stays true here. The strings that come in from time to time sound really good too, but overall this one comes off as just decent.

  The Nicki Minaj collaboration “Realize” follows next. To be honest, it’s getting difficult to write anything significant about 2 Chainz’s lyrics at this point. They fit the production and his voice and presence is commanding as ever, but the topics stick almost exclusively to talking about drugs, cars, money, etc, which can become tedious to write about after a while. The line at the end of his verse taking a shot at mumble rap was admittedly hilarious, though. Nicki’s hook goes well with the chilled out vibe of the production and her verse isn’t too bad either. Not incredible but it gets the job done.

  With “Poor Fool” Mike Will Made-It continues to prove why he is in the upper echelon of hip hop producers at the moment with keyboard plinks in the beat that sound like a malfunctioning children’s toy and brooding synth lines underneath. Swae Lee hops on the chorus and it’s one of the best on the record, further cementing himself as one of the best go-to rappers for a hook right now. Swae and Chainz reference how their mothers reacted to their sons dealings in the street, even though the money they would have been earning through their hustling ways was what was helping to keep food on the table. All in all this shit bangs; a definite highlight.

  “Big Amount” originally dropped on 2 Chainz’s 2016 mixtape Daniel Son; Necklace Don and the success of the track prompted him to include it on Pretty Girls as a bonus track for the digital version. Buddah Bless’s contribution is significantly better than the preceding “Door Swangin’”: as far as I can tell, this was one of the first contributions to the flute rap trend that wound up dominating most of 2017. Some of Chainz’s best lines on the album end up here (the “Shawty ride like an equestrian” line kills me every time) and Drake’s contribution works really well too. A solid track all around.

  Arguably the biggest single off the album, “It’s a Vibe” was a staple on hip hop stations this year and it’s not hard to see why. Murda Beatz’s smooth mid-paced production features irresistible guitar licks and 2 Chainz flows over it flawlessly, lending one of his best verses on the album to this track. Ty Dolla Sign, Trey Songz and Jhene Aiko provide vocals to flesh things out. In comparison to the other singles I’d probably take “Good Drank” and “4 AM” over this one, but that just comes down to personal preference; it’s still a chill ass song regardless.

  Honorable C.N.O.T.E. provides an absolutely gorgeous backdrop on “Rolls Royce Bitch”, once again employing the use of guitar. Next to “Good Drank” and two other tracks to be mentioned later, this may be my favorite beat on the entire record. Tity starts the track telling the listener to believe in themselves first and foremost and if they they can make their dreams come true. The rest of the record is spent describing his wealth and how he came to acquire it. This is an absolute pleasure to listen to and an easy highlight.

  “Sleep When U Die” is another Buddah Bless production; this one sounds closer to “Door Swangin’” than “Big Amount”. Tity compares his clothing to Ric Flair’s and his hair to James Brown’s. Pretty standard trap here; nothing more to say.

  Without even realizing it I sort of knew instinctually that “Trap Check” was probably a Buddah Bless beat before I checked the production credits, and sure enough that turns out to be the case. Again, this stuff is pretty middle-of-the-road as far as 2017 trap goes until the last 30 seconds, where the beat switches to the furious horns of T.I.’s “ASAP”, a welcome switch-up that finishes the track off nicely. More of the same content from Tity on the lyrical side of things, though the “I ain’t talkin’ Nike when I’m talkin’ bout a check” line always manages to get a smile out of me.

  “Blue Cheese”, featuring rap’s hottest trio at the moment, boasts what is arguably the best beat on the entire album. K Swisha laces the track with a bed of hypnotizing synths that completely envelop the listener; the effect always gives me a feeling of being underwater for some reason. Quavo’s chorus here is just as irresistible as “Good Drank” was and everyone plays their part to make the song a success. There is one complaint to be made with this track, however: Tity only gets one 45 second verse at the start with Quavo, Offset and Takeoff dominating the rest of the cut. It feels more like a Migos song featuring 2 Chainz than the other way around, which is disappointing given it’s supposed to be a 2 Chainz album, but I digress.

  Tity decides to go on an “OG Kush Diet” on the next track to cope with the death of his close friend (at least for the chorus, anyway; the verses revert back to his usual braggadocios, materialistic style). Production on this one is decent to start, but things change halfway through where the beat has a reggae-tinged switch-up to keep things interesting. The pitch shifting on 2 Chainz’s voice at the end of the track is a nice touch also.

  Next we’ve got the Pharrell Williams-produced “Bailan”, and goddamn this shit is smooth! 25 years on and Skateboard P is still a genius behind the boards. This goes over a lot better than their previous collaboration “Feds Watching”: whereas that cut felt like a misguided attempt at Pharrell adjusting himself to 2 Chainz’s typical production style, the roles are reversed on this cut and, surprisingly enough, Tity sounds great over this despite it being a lil outside of his usual territory when it comes to production choices. A full length 2 Chainz-Pharrell collaboration would be more than welcome if the results stay consistent with this one.

  The album saves the best for last with “Burglar Bars”, a poignant cut that feels more “traditionally” hip hop than anything else on the record. Near the end of the song Tity describes it as “soulful trap music” and his assertion couldn’t be any more on point. It’s a beautifully produced gem of a track from M16 and Mike Dean, sampling Barbara Jean English’s “You’re Gonna Need Somebody to Love You”, with Monica providing backing vocals along with the intro and a closing verse. 2 Chainz’s lyrics are still drug and money-focused, but he also intersperses references to his contemporaries and reflects on how far his rap career has come. All in all, it’s a wonderful closer, and if it’s a sign of things to come (considering 2 Chainz has been working on music with 90’s era legend Q-Tip as of late) then I’m all for hearing what Mr. Chainz has up his sleeve next.

  Is Pretty Girls Like Trap Music the best album of the year? Not for me, personally, but having grown up listening to guys like Jay and Em in my early years and getting into underground/conscious/backpack stuff in my teens I’ll probably always be more inclined towards something that’s more lyrically focused anyway. Nonetheless, I can definitively say as someone who’s critical of a lot of the trap that comes out nowadays this was a pleasure to listen to.

  I’ve heard some complain about the lack of humor that was prevalent in 2 Chainz’s earlier projects compared to this, and admittedly, as I started reviewing this album, I found it to be increasingly difficult to find anything to really say about 2 Chainz’s bars on this one. They all revolve around the usual trap-standard subject matter that one expects from a 2 Chainz record, and after awhile it can be hard to say something new or original about them. His flow and his presence are still more than intact and lyrics aren't a huge point of emphasis for me when listening to this kind of music anyway; plus, tracks like "Burglar Bars" show that Tity doesn't need to do his usual funnier style to pull off some solid verses. It’s obvious that he wanted to use Pretty Girls as his chance to show people that he isn’t just a punchline rapper and that he can be serious about his music when he chooses to be.

  Like most trap albums, the real highlight of the record is the production, and in this regard Pretty Girls is typically fantastic. Aside from some uninspired Buddah Bless productions everything on the record is extremely memorable and endlessly creative: the excellent guitar lines on "Saturday Night", "It's a Vibe" and especially "Rolls Royce Bitch", the nightmarish feel of "Riverdale Rd" and "Poor Fool", the indelible melodies of "Good Drank" and "4 AM", the smooth ecstasy of "Blue Cheese" and "Bailan", and capping the album off with the epic "Burglar Bars", the songs are expertly produced and really lend themselves to making the record what it is.

  This was my first experience with a 2 Chainz project so I’m not totally sure how it compares to his other work, but if this is a sign of things to come, I’m very excited to hear what else he does in this lil “late career renaissance” he’s got going on right now.

  Favorite Songs

Burglar Bars

Good Drank

Rolls Royce Bitch

Bailan

Blue Cheese

Favorite Lyrics

”Shawty ride like an equestrian” -Big Amount

”I give a fuck about thesaurus rappers" -Burglar Bars

”Used to drive a Porsche ‘til I found out it was made by Volkswagen” -OG Kush Diet

Discussion Questions

• Do you feel like the album would have been better if 2 Chainz had used his more humorous style more often?

• How does 2 Chainz compare with other rappers in their late 30s and beyond who are still putting out music today?

• How would you like to see 2 Chainz progress with his next record?

Tomorrow we'll have u/vulcan24 writing about Death Grips’ “Steroids” EP

Artist: 2 ChainzAlbum: Pretty Girls Like Trap MusicListen:YouTubeSpotifyApple MusicGoogle Play MusicTIDALAlbum Background”It's always these beautiful girls who like this hustler – who you think would be attracted to a whole other type of music. But they like Migos, Future. You get with this girl, and you want to play Bryson Tiller. But she's like, "I want to hear Gucci." Shit. We're the pop stars. Trap rap is pop now. People's ears have adjusted to what we have to say and how we say it.”-2 Chainz, Rolling Stone interview, June 2017 In July of this year, it was reported that hip hop and R&B music had officially surpassed rock ‘n’ roll as the most popular genre of music in the United States. Personally, I feel like rock had already been dethroned years ago and that rap’s dominance was only now made apparent by the implementation of streaming into the Billboard charting system, but nonetheless the shift has sparked debates over the relevance of the musical styles of generations past with millennials who, having grown up with rap and adjusting to it at a young age in a way their parents hadn’t, have essentially claimed the genre as the music of their generation. In the same way that my father’s generation chose Elvis and the Beatles over Frank Sinatra and the like, someone like 2 Chainz could be argued to have a more powerful hold on the youth culture of today than anyone with a guitar. Like most people, my first experience with the man born Tauheed Epps was the Lil Wayne featuring “Duffle Bag Boy”, though as it was credited to Playaz Circle I didn’t realize it at the time. The rapper formerly known as Tity Boi made the shift to 2 Chainz not long thereafter, and by the time he released his T.R.U. Realigion mixtape in 2011 he was certifiably one of the hottest up-and-coming rappers in the world, a full decade and half after he’d started his career. The year after he released his major label debut Based on a T.R.U. Story, a platinum selling album in a pre-streaming era (no easy feat) with three major hit singles. History would dictate that Mr. Chainz would be able to ride off the success of this album to further hits and commercial viability in the years to come, and while his string of golden features on others’ tracks continued to flourish, his own solo material began to falter. B.O.A.T.S. II was released one year after its predecessor but sold less than half as many copies and failed to produce a top 40 single. For the next few years Tity released a few mixtapes and EPs, along with a collaborative project with Lil Wayne, but nothing seemed to resonate with audiences like his material in the early part of the decade had. Suddenly, however, it became apparent that as trap music became more and more engrained into the mainstream consciousness, so too did 2 Chainz’s popularity begin to get a second wind of sorts. This is adeptly referenced in the title to his third studio album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music: it’s a testament to how far rap has come in its mission of taking over the airwaves in recent years and how, while the young women of yesteryear’s generation may have been more enamored with artists who were strictly pop, the more melodic style of trap music that has infiltrated the game this decade has taken pop’s place as the go-to music for the youth. The general consensus surrounding 2 Chainz up until now was that he worked better as a feature and/or “punchline” rapper than a legitimate album artist. 2 Chainz perhaps recognized that, having fallen from his peak hype levels in the first half of the decade, he needed to put out something truly special to keep people interested in his music. As such, he chose to downplay the more humorous aspects of his verses on Pretty Girls and instead focus on the grittier, drug dealing aspects of his upbringing, along with the usual foray into pussy, money, weed and braggadocio that is almost a requirement for mainstream rap nowadays. He enlisted the help of prior collaborators Mike Will Made-It and Honorable C.N.O.T.E. to provide beats, alongside newcomers such as Murda Beatz and Buddah Bless and industry legends like Pharrell and Mike Dean, amongst others. There’s also a “who’s who” of 2017 mainstream rap on the features list, with Drake, Migos, Travis Scott, Swae Lee, Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, Ty Dolla Sign and others all making appearances. He also utilized a unique promotional tactics for the record: he rented a “trap house” in Atlanta that he had painted completely pink and donned it with the album’s logo on the front, and also ran a “trap salon” for girls to get their nails done with song titles inspiring the designs. Pretty Girls ended up becoming one of the biggest sleeper hits of the 2017 summer rap season. It sold over 100,000 album equivalent units in its first week in the United States and garnered 2 Chainz the highest critical praise he had received in his career up to that point. Less than 3 months after its release, it had been certified gold, his first RIAA certified record since his platinum selling debut. Pretty Girls has produced a run of hit singles that were mainstays on rap stations this year, and the album has been considered nothing but a success for Mr. Chainz. But is it actually any good? ReviewPretty Girls Like Trap Music begins with a few rapid piano hits and, ironically enough, a blazing guitar line that would be feel more at home in the rock music that trap artists like 2 Chainz had helped displace at the top of the charts. Tity uses the opener to reminisce about his past and the things he’s done to get him to where he is today. The subject matter fits the Mike Will production nicely and overall this serves as a great way to start the album off. The title of the following track “Riverdale Rd” is a reference to a street in Atlanta, 2 Chainz’s hometown. The beat almost sounds like a trap reinterpretation of the Psycho soundtrack, courtesy of DJ Mano. Similar to the song preceding it, Tity makes reference in his lyrics to his younger days of hustling and drug dealing and how it contrasts with his life in the present day. This is undeniably one of the hardest tracks on the album. “Good Drank”, the first official single that had previously appeared on 2016’s Hibachi for Lunch mixtape, follows next. This was the first song I’d heard off the project and it quickly became an obsession, mostly due to the damn near perfect synth lead that opens the song. The patented Mike Dean Magic™ is all over this thing: a beautiful concoction of drums and melodies that stick to your ear and refuse to leave. 2 Chainz’s verse follows the standard for what the majority of the album’s content will ultimately consist of: money, cars and drug dealing. Quavo’s hook is infectious (the “Nooo-ooo-ooo” melodies following the “no hot box” line are great in particular) and Gucci’s verse, while nothing spectacular, fits with the track. The Travis Scott-featuring “4 AM” follows, with production from 2017’s most breakout producer Murda Beatz. Placing this woozy instrumental directly after “Good Drank” was a solid move as they almost feel like compliments to one another. Tity harkens back to the past again, “reminiscing ‘bout the trap, playin’ the first Carter” and references the projects he’s put out since B.O.A.T.S. II, namely a series of EPs and his collaborative project with Lil Wayne from the year before. La Flame’s performance on the chorus is pretty standard for him but given how awesome he generally is on hook duty this isn’t really a complaint. Could’ve benefitted from an actual verse from Travis but this is solid nonetheless. “Door Swangin’” boasts the first of four Buddah Bless productions on the album. Pretty standard trap stuff on this one, both in terms of lyrics and music. The running theme of the album seems to be drug dealing first and foremost and that stays true here. The strings that come in from time to time sound really good too, but overall this one comes off as just decent. The Nicki Minaj collaboration “Realize” follows next. To be honest, it’s getting difficult to write anything significant about 2 Chainz’s lyrics at this point. They fit the production and his voice and presence is commanding as ever, but the topics stick almost exclusively to talking about drugs, cars, money, etc, which can become tedious to write about after a while. The line at the end of his verse taking a shot at mumble rap was admittedly hilarious, though. Nicki’s hook goes well with the chilled out vibe of the production and her verse isn’t too bad either. Not incredible but it gets the job done. With “Poor Fool” Mike Will Made-It continues to prove why he is in the upper echelon of hip hop producers at the moment with keyboard plinks in the beat that sound like a malfunctioning children’s toy and brooding synth lines underneath. Swae Lee hops on the chorus and it’s one of the best on the record, further cementing himself as one of the best go-to rappers for a hook right now. Swae and Chainz reference how their mothers reacted to their sons dealings in the street, even though the money they would have been earning through their hustling ways was what was helping to keep food on the table. All in all this shit bangs; a definite highlight. “Big Amount” originally dropped on 2 Chainz’s 2016 mixtape Daniel Son; Necklace Don and the success of the track prompted him to include it on Pretty Girls as a bonus track for the digital version. Buddah Bless’s contribution is significantly better than the preceding “Door Swangin’”: as far as I can tell, this was one of the first contributions to the flute rap trend that wound up dominating most of 2017. Some of Chainz’s best lines on the album end up here (the “Shawty ride like an equestrian” line kills me every time) and Drake’s contribution works really well too. A solid track all around. Arguably the biggest single off the album, “It’s a Vibe” was a staple on hip hop stations this year and it’s not hard to see why. Murda Beatz’s smooth mid-paced production features irresistible guitar licks and 2 Chainz flows over it flawlessly, lending one of his best verses on the album to this track. Ty Dolla Sign, Trey Songz and Jhene Aiko provide vocals to flesh things out. In comparison to the other singles I’d probably take “Good Drank” and “4 AM” over this one, but that just comes down to personal preference; it’s still a chill ass song regardless. Honorable C.N.O.T.E. provides an absolutely gorgeous backdrop on “Rolls Royce Bitch”, once again employing the use of guitar. Next to “Good Drank” and two other tracks to be mentioned later, this may be my favorite beat on the entire record. Tity starts the track telling the listener to believe in themselves first and foremost and if they they can make their dreams come true. The rest of the record is spent describing his wealth and how he came to acquire it. This is an absolute pleasure to listen to and an easy highlight. “Sleep When U Die” is another Buddah Bless production; this one sounds closer to “Door Swangin’” than “Big Amount”. Tity compares his clothing to Ric Flair’s and his hair to James Brown’s. Pretty standard trap here; nothing more to say. Without even realizing it I sort of knew instinctually that “Trap Check” was probably a Buddah Bless beat before I checked the production credits, and sure enough that turns out to be the case. Again, this stuff is pretty middle-of-the-road as far as 2017 trap goes until the last 30 seconds, where the beat switches to the furious horns of T.I.’s “ASAP”, a welcome switch-up that finishes the track off nicely. More of the same content from Tity on the lyrical side of things, though the “I ain’t talkin’ Nike when I’m talkin’ bout a check” line always manages to get a smile out of me. “Blue Cheese”, featuring rap’s hottest trio at the moment, boasts what is arguably the best beat on the entire album. K Swisha laces the track with a bed of hypnotizing synths that completely envelop the listener; the effect always gives me a feeling of being underwater for some reason. Quavo’s chorus here is just as irresistible as “Good Drank” was and everyone plays their part to make the song a success. There is one complaint to be made with this track, however: Tity only gets one 45 second verse at the start with Quavo, Offset and Takeoff dominating the rest of the cut. It feels more like a Migos song featuring 2 Chainz than the other way around, which is disappointing given it’s supposed to be a 2 Chainz album, but I digress. Tity decides to go on an “OG Kush Diet” on the next track to cope with the death of his close friend (at least for the chorus, anyway; the verses revert back to his usual braggadocios, materialistic style). Production on this one is decent to start, but things change halfway through where the beat has a reggae-tinged switch-up to keep things interesting. The pitch shifting on 2 Chainz’s voice at the end of the track is a nice touch also. Next we’ve got the Pharrell Williams-produced “Bailan”, and goddamn this shit is smooth! 25 years on and Skateboard P is still a genius behind the boards. This goes over a lot better than their previous collaboration “Feds Watching”: whereas that cut felt like a misguided attempt at Pharrell adjusting himself to 2 Chainz’s typical production style, the roles are reversed on this cut and, surprisingly enough, Tity sounds great over this despite it being a lil outside of his usual territory when it comes to production choices. A full length 2 Chainz-Pharrell collaboration would be more than welcome if the results stay consistent with this one. The album saves the best for last with “Burglar Bars”, a poignant cut that feels more “traditionally” hip hop than anything else on the record. Near the end of the song Tity describes it as “soulful trap music” and his assertion couldn’t be any more on point. It’s a beautifully produced gem of a track from M16 and Mike Dean, sampling Barbara Jean English’s “You’re Gonna Need Somebody to Love You”, with Monica providing backing vocals along with the intro and a closing verse. 2 Chainz’s lyrics are still drug and money-focused, but he also intersperses references to his contemporaries and reflects on how far his rap career has come. All in all, it’s a wonderful closer, and if it’s a sign of things to come (considering 2 Chainz has been working on music with 90’s era legend Q-Tip as of late) then I’m all for hearing what Mr. Chainz has up his sleeve next. Is Pretty Girls Like Trap Music the best album of the year? Not for me, personally, but having grown up listening to guys like Jay and Em in my early years and getting into underground/conscious/backpack stuff in my teens I’ll probably always be more inclined towards something that’s more lyrically focused anyway. Nonetheless, I can definitively say as someone who’s critical of a lot of the trap that comes out nowadays this was a pleasure to listen to. I’ve heard some complain about the lack of humor that was prevalent in 2 Chainz’s earlier projects compared to this, and admittedly, as I started reviewing this album, I found it to be increasingly difficult to find anything to really say about 2 Chainz’s bars on this one. They all revolve around the usual trap-standard subject matter that one expects from a 2 Chainz record, and after awhile it can be hard to say something new or original about them. His flow and his presence are still more than intact and lyrics aren't a huge point of emphasis for me when listening to this kind of music anyway; plus, tracks like "Burglar Bars" show that Tity doesn't need to do his usual funnier style to pull off some solid verses. It’s obvious that he wanted to use Pretty Girls as his chance to show people that he isn’t just a punchline rapper and that he can be serious about his music when he chooses to be. Like most trap albums, the real highlight of the record is the production, and in this regard Pretty Girls is typically fantastic. Aside from some uninspired Buddah Bless productions everything on the record is extremely memorable and endlessly creative: the excellent guitar lines on "Saturday Night", "It's a Vibe" and especially "Rolls Royce Bitch", the nightmarish feel of "Riverdale Rd" and "Poor Fool", the indelible melodies of "Good Drank" and "4 AM", the smooth ecstasy of "Blue Cheese" and "Bailan", and capping the album off with the epic "Burglar Bars", the songs are expertly produced and really lend themselves to making the record what it is. This was my first experience with a 2 Chainz project so I’m not totally sure how it compares to his other work, but if this is a sign of things to come, I’m very excited to hear what else he does in this lil “late career renaissance” he’s got going on right now. Favorite SongsBurglar BarsGood DrankRolls Royce BitchBailanBlue CheeseFavorite Lyrics”Shawty ride like an equestrian” -Big Amount”I give a fuck about thesaurus rappers" -Burglar Bars”Used to drive a Porsche ‘til I found out it was made by Volkswagen” -OG Kush DietDiscussion Questions• Do you feel like the album would have been better if 2 Chainz had used his more humorous style more often?• How does 2 Chainz compare with other rappers in their late 30s and beyond who are still putting out music today?• How would you like to see 2 Chainz progress with his next record?Tomorrow we'll have u/vulcan24 writing about Death Grips’ “Steroids” EP

[rora-s]

The Derivative Chapter 12: Tests

Chapter 1 <- Chapter 11

I let off a breath closing one text book I’d finished and moving to the next. “You know there’s a difference between learning and memorizing right?” Amita pointed out with a scoff glancing at me over top her laptop screen. 

“I am aware. One is knowing the other is understanding but for me they can understandably get intermingled” I explained as I began to go through the next book. 

Amita nodded “you’re really stressing about this test you have to do for school huh?” 

“Well it is kinda a big deal. The whole prospect of my graduating early is riding on it. That and me getting accepted into college” I explained. 

“Oh really what are you looking to study?” Amita inquired. 

“Mathematics like my uncle probably, maybe something a bit more hands on to” I explained. 

“You know combinatorics is a great field” she offered. 

I scoffed “if you don’t say so yourself” 

We both giggled “seriously though you should look at applying for CalSci. You could stay local. They have a history of accepting young brilliant minds and programs especially made for those who have spotty school records.” 

“You know Larry was saying something similar before” I voiced “maybe I will think about it.” 

“Plus I’ve been considering staying at CalSci longer to get my second PhD in physics so you’d have another friendly face on campus other than Charlie and Larry” 

“Seriously?” I thought about hanging around CalSci with the brainiac trio. “That sounds really cool”

“I think it’d be cool too and we could take you on a tour of the campus sometime even, you know, show you around” Amita offered. 

I smiled “yeah that’d be great” 

Just then my friend's phone went off and she answered it “hello? … yeah sure I’ll be right there.” she hung up and started packing her things. “Charlie needs my help for a case with Don.” she informed. 

“I can come-” 

“He said specifically not to bring you even if you asked. Sorry” Amita told me sympathetically. 

“Ugh eighteen can not come soon enough” I groaned. 

“There, there” Amita murmured teasingly, patting me on the shoulder as she headed out of the house. 

______________________________

“You know when you offered to take me on a campus tour I thought I’d see more than the computer lab” I voiced as the trio finished retesting their flight route math for a third time in the CalSci computer lab. 

“I’m sorry but this is very important for the case Don’s working on” Charlie breathed out then thought for a minute “by the way I would appreciate you not telling him I allowed you to help with this math” 

“Don’t worry Uncle C, unlike some people I can keep a secret” I muttered. The man shot me a look but let the subject go as we all mulled over what we might have missed. 

“I don’t get it,” Uncle Charlie declared finally from his seat on the table behind where Amita was working. “The aircraft should have originated from an airfield that the FBI checked out” 

“Maybe they didn’t use an airfield” I suggested from where I sat next to the computer. “Like a highway or something” 

“Well then there would have been witnesses” Amita pointed out to the contrary. 

“You know, here’s where I get reductive on your ass,” Larry spoke up standing “cause you keep saying aircraft but so far no one’s been able to identify whatever it was that people saw.” 

“What are you saying, Larry?” Amita questioned. 

“I’m saying instead of building a flight path, let’s try focusing on the object itself,” Larry suggested. 

“You know what?” Charlie spoke up, hopping off his table “he’s right.” 

“Wait, you're agree that it could be a UFO?” I inquired of my uncle. 

“No, but focusing on the craft might yield better results.” The man explained coming over “We could get a visual of the object by building in all the radar sources at the same time, yes, civilian and military.” 

“So overlap the radar sources?” Amita clarified as she began to type into the computer. 

“That’s right” Charlie confirmed “by layering the images we could build a three dimensional cross section of it” 

Amita typed on the computer for a moment and we all leaned in to see “there” she finally declared “now it’s working off of all seven radar sources.” 

“And it’s building an image of the object,” Larry added. 

We watched as slowly an image began to appear. What we saw looked surprisingly Sci-fi. “Charlie? Is that what I think it is?” Amita inquired. 

“Larry I’m sorry I doubted you” I muttered. 

“Now, le-let’s be very, very careful” Charlie stammered “we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions or make any assumptions. There could be any number of reasons why that looks like-” 

“A vehicle from another part of the universe” Larry finished Charlie’s statement. 

___________

3rd POV.

“Hey Charlie” Don greeted his brother knocking on the door to the office space the professor was using in the library. 

“Hey” the young brother replied, writing on a piece of paper. 

“What’s up?”  

“Just grading tests for my Nonlinear Dynamics class.” Charlie informed. 

“Glad to see you’re taking my advice and having some fun” Don commented. 

“Well, you don’t look like you’ve been having too much fun” the younger brother pointed out, eyeing his brother as Don sat down. 

Don sighed “aw man this Gosnell case. Not to mention Abby has to take that test today in school to see if she can get out early.” 

“I’m sure she’ll pass” Charlie reassured “and you know Amita’s already talked her into applying for CalSci” 

“Yeah I’m just stressed on her behalf I guess” the older brother explained “and anyway with this case I just had to tell a guy that his dad died” Don let off another breath slouching in his seat. 

Charlie put down his pencil and turned to give his brother more of his attention “I spent all that time trying to figure out where the plane went. Turns out the pilot didn’t even know, because the rudder was busted.” 

“See, that’s the thing” Don explained “I got to find out where he was headed, ‘cause I think that’s why he was killed. You got any ideas? Anything at all?” 

Charlie sighed packing up his papers and standing “maybe. Could I, uh could I get some data off the flight recorder?” 

“Yeah, I mean, I can see if, uh, Erica can drop some by.” Don offered. “Maybe Amita can help you out” A small smile came to Charlie’s face at the suggestion and Don couldn’t help the knowing grin that came to his face. “Dad said she’s sticking around.” 

“Did he?” Charlie asked, turning to his brother. 

“Well, you happy about that?” Don inquired. 

“Um, are you asking me as her thesis advisor or..?” Charlie ended with a slight chuckle. 

Don scoffed at the blush forming on his younger brother’s features “you tell me” 

“Yeah, I’m happy,” Charlie admitted. 

They were quiet for a moment then another thought occured to Don “hey, what’s the deal I thought you were playing golf today.” 

“Oh no.” Charlie quickly replied “you know, I’m really no use on the golf course.” 

Don sat up as his brother took the seat across from him again “Charlie you know why he likes playing with you, don’t you?” 

“I have no idea” Charlie voiced “because I-I’ve got to be the worst golfer in the history of the game” 

Don shook his head surprised that his genius of a little brother could be so clueless sometimes “No. it’s the one time he gets to teach you something. You understand?” he explained “I mean I’m learning for myself that it’s not easy raising a genius. That’s his one time” Don wasn’t sure Charlie got what he was saying but just then his phone went off “oh excuse me” he stood up to take the call. “Eppes” 

“Don” David’s voice answered “the forensic report from Gosnell’s workshop just came in. We found David Croft’s fingerprints all over the shop.” 

“But I thought you said he hadn’t seen him in years” Don questioned confused. 

“And so he said” David replied 

“All right, look, uh, take a team, pick him up” Don instructed, rubbing his forehead and the bridge of his nose with his hand “I’ll meet you at the office, okay?” 

“You got it,” David agreed before hanging up. 

Don pocketed his phone again “alright kid I got to go. See you later” he called to Charlie who nodded his farewell before Don was out the door. 

_________

“I pass the dang test and as a reward I get to come out here and watch you all golf in this heat” Abby complained “that’s so not fair” 

“Ah come on kid a little exercise never hurt anybody” Don objected “maybe you could try it out for yourself” 

“No thank you” the teenager replied edgily heading toward the bench with her backpack full of reading material. 

“Where’s Chuck?” Don asked, realizing his younger brother was not in sight. 

“I don’t know last I looked, he was right behind us.” Alan replied looking around. “Oh there he is” he voiced when they spotted the younger man coming up to the bench at another angle. 

“Hey dad,” Charlie called, dragging his clubs up the incline. “Your clubs weigh a ton” 

“Are you kidding, I've used those clubs for ten years” Alan replied looking in his own golf bag as Abby made herself comfortable on the bench. “There’s nothing wrong with them” 

“Dad, they’re older than he is,” Don pointed out, going over to look in Charlie’s bag. “I don’t even think they make wood clubs anymore.”

“Yeah I know” Alan said “but each one of ‘em’s got a great sweet spot.” 

“Put ‘em in a museum,” Don commented. 

“Eh, when Charlie gets better, I’ll buy him a set of his own” Alan offered. 

“Well isn’t that encouraging” Abby muttered already part way through the novel on her lap. 

“Come on, Charlie, maybe this is the day you’ll par a hole.” Alan suggested. 

“I’d just like to get the ball in the hole. That’s all” Charlie stated as Don came over to sit next to his daughter on the bench. 

“So you passed the test” Don spoke to his kid as Alan talked to his. “What’s next?” 

“I wait and hope CalSci accepts me,” Abby declared looking up from her book. “But who knows if that’s going to happen.” 

“Well aren’t you pessimistic” Don muttered. 

“Well Donald I had to get it from somewhere” Abby replied with a smirk. 

“Yeah your mother” Don stated with a slight grin. 

“Funny she said the same thing about you” Abby advised and the pair shared a laugh as Charlie came over to join them. 

“Alright Alan show us how it’s done” Don called to his father and the three watched as the eldest among them swung the golf club. 

Chapter 13 ->

[rora-s]

The Derivative Chapter 1: Sixteen

“Abbs come on time to leave” Janice called into the back room at the diner. 

“Coming” the teenager replied and grabbed her backpack from the floor. Waving bye to the diner chef she followed her mother out the door. 

Janice and Abby loaded into their small sedan. The vehicle was packed full of stuff from clothes to random bit and bobs. They practically lived out of their car for the last couple years until they settled down in the latest apartment and even then they had been hesitant to finally make the move. 

“Okay so I was thinking” Janice began as she pulled out of the parking lot. 

“Oh that’s dangerous” Abby murmured with a smirk as they drove. 

Janice shot her daughter a look. “Well in a few months you’ll be turning the beautiful age of sixteen. And I was wondering what you wanted to do to celebrate? Cause if you want something big I’ll have to start saving now. But of course if you would rather run your mouth-” 

“Hey hey hey I had to get this sarcasm somewhere” Abby pointed out.

“Yes your father” Janice replied. 

“Yes blame it on the non-existent father in my life” Abby scoffed. 

Janice sighed “alright anyway you want to have a celebration or what?” 

“I don’t know” Abby shrugged. “It’s not like I want a party or anything maybe us just hanging out?” 

“How about a picnic?” Janice suggested pulling up to a red light. Abby gave her a perplexed look. “Lay out a blanket on the floor in the apartment. Get some nice food it could be great” 

“Yeah that sounds great Mom��� Abby agreed “you’re the best” 

“I try” Janice replied.

They both laughed as the light turned green. There was the sound of a blaring horn. The car filled with bright light Abby felt her mother’s hand collide with her chest. She heard the screech of brakes and the crunch of metal. 

“Mom!”

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

“Abby!” Bang! Bang! Bang! “Come on get up! Your alarms been going for the last ten minutes!” 

I groaned in exhausted annoyance and rolled over in my blankets swatting haphazardly at the alarm on my nightstand. There was another round of banging on my bedroom door “I’m up! I’m up!” I yawned sitting up in my bed.

“Listen I got to get to work and you have to get to school so start moving” the man on the other side of my door ordered. 

“I am moving” I responded around a second yawn. 

“Yeah you totally sound awake” I heard him mutter. 

“Hey I heard that” I called and got a scoff in response as he headed on down the hallway. 

With a deep breath I got up and started getting ready. My room was pretty plain with a dresser and bed and a couple knickknacks strewn about. I’d only been living in it for a little less than a month which was quite apparent. Though I didn’t have much stuff in the first place. I threw on a t-shirt, jeans, plaid button up, and my well loved and sharpied sneakers. 

I headed downstairs with my backpack over my shoulder tossing it on the couch. My biological father was pouring himself some coffee in the kitchen. “Morning” He muttered as I began fixing myself some cereal. 

“Morning Don” I replied. 

“Listen with this case I’m working I’m probably going to be home late” he started. 

“Am I staying at Grandpa’s then?” I inquired. 

“Maybe not staying but you’ll be going there after school today” the FBI agent explained. 

“Awesome” I responded sarcastically “maybe I’ll get some decent food then” 

“Ouch” Don joked as his phone rang. He answered it and went into business mode “Eppes… yeah?” his face fell as he listened to the person on the other line “when? Where?” he checked his watch and I knowingly started eating faster. “Yeah alright I’ll be there as soon as I can… yeah” he hung up and started moving faster grabbing his things. 

“Case?” I asked, finishing my cereal and sliding my bowl into the sink. 

“Yup come on I have to get you to school and then go to a crime scene” he explained. 

“But I haven’t brushed my hair or my teeth yet” I objected standing up as he walked past me to grab his jacket. 

“Chew some gum and I don’t know, wear a hat” he offered. 

“They don’t allow hats in school” I explained, not dropping the sarcastic edge from my voice.

Don seemed rather frazzled. “Well then I don’t know what to tell you. Now come on” I sighed and grabbed my backpack as we headed out the door. “Since when do you care about your hair anyway?” 

I rolled my eyes running my fingers through my short brown hair “you’re the worst parental guardian ever” 

_____________

3rd POV. 

“Silber’s at work right now at the hospital” Terry informed as her and Don loaded into the truck. 

“Alright let’s get heading that way then” the man muttered. Pulling out of the FBI car lot. 

They drove for only a couple seconds before Terry spoke up again. “So you were late to the crime scene this morning” it was a cross between a statement and a question. 

Don sighed “yeah Abby had a late start and I had to drop her at school” 

“Right being a dad’s not that easy huh?” the woman voiced. 

Don scoffed in response. “Well I don’t know if I even qualify as a dad yet.” he explained “she definitely doesn’t call me one. This morning I was dubbed the worst parental guardian ever”

“Well she called you her parent sorta” Terry offered.

Don chuckled lightly “yeah sorta” 

“Relax Don, she's a moody fifteen year old girl who just came to live with her birth father. She needs some time to adjust” the profiler explained as they turned onto the street with the hospital. 

“Sixteen this weekend actually” Don informed. 

“Really?” Terry looked to the man in surprise. “You guys doing anything? Party? Something?” 

Don shrugged “I got her a present. A ball cap.” Terry shot her partner a pointed look “what? I don’t know what teenage girls are into these days. And as for a party with what friends?” The two agents climbed out of the car in front of the large hospital. “She hates school, never really even talks to anybody.” 

“She’s gifted right? Like your brother the mathematician?” the woman inquired. 

“In a different way but yeah” Don nodded. “Took college algebra in fifth grade from what I understand and can remember anything she’s ever read. Actually she reads anything you put in her hand faster than the average person” 

“Well then it makes sense she would hate school. She’s not learning anything” Terry voiced. 

“Yeah well they won’t put her in an advanced program cuz she doesn’t have a solid school report history” Don explained “I don’t even think she was ever in the 1st or 2nd grade even” 

Terry nodded as they entered the hospital elevator “you know it might help if you actually talk to her about it.”

“Yeah” Don sighed as the doors closed. 

______________

Abby POV. 

I sat in yet another class bored out of my mind. I was two chapters ahead of my teacher and classmates in all of my classes and most of the topics they discussed I had learned about already. 

“Now the derivative is a way to show the rate of change. That is, the amount by which a function is changing at one given point. For functions that act on the real numbers, it is the slope of the tangent line at a point on a graph…” 

I tuned out my teacher and rested my head on my desk. I had positioned myself in the very back corner of the classroom as to attract the least attention from my teacher and peers. Reaching into my backpack I pulled out my blinders. My medical grade sunglasses like eye cover that I put on to block out all visual stimuli. They were given to me by a doctor that examined me for my memory while I was in the foster system. 

As I rested there isolating my mind from the world I began to dwell on the various things that rested in the back of my mind. However one topic I tended to shy away from. A topic that was getting harder to avoid. My birthday.

It was coming up and I wasn’t completely certain I wanted to do anything for it. Me and my mom had talked about how we were going to celebrate it. But she was gone now and Don. I doubted he even remembered it was coming. 

The bell rang pulling me from my thoughts. I slipped my blinders to the top of my head and grabbed my stuff. Heading for the door. “Abby” I turned to the teacher who was sitting at her desk. “Can I talk to you for a second?” 

I shifted in my path for the door and walked over to Mrs. Clive’s desk. “What do you need.” 

She gave me a look and picked up a book from her desk handing it to me. “I saw your birthday was this weekend. Got you this” 

I took the book from her and looked at it. The book was Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket. A book I had been after since its release earlier this year. “Thank you” I murmured. 

“Ms. Rampart from the library said that you had been pestering her about it since you joined us so I figured it must be something you’re interested in” Clive informed. 

“Yeah I got hooked on it and read up to current last year,” I explained. 

“You know with the monster stories you come in here with I wouldn’t have figured you for the series of unfortunate events” Clive voiced.

I scoffed “yeah and what would you figure I’d read?” 

Clive grinned back “war and peace” 

I shrugged “read that years ago” 

The woman nodded “well go on or you’ll miss your bus” 

“Thank you Mrs. Clive, for the book” I told her. 

“You’re welcome Abby and happy birthday” she smiled. 

“Thanks” I nodded heading out of her classroom. Mrs. Clive was probably my favorite teacher at this school though she was a little too observant on some things. She always took the time to ask me how I was and never got mad at me for not paying attention in class. Of course she did get annoyed when I didn’t turn in homework on time. She knew I could do it. 

I had to jog to get to my bus on time and as I was one of the last ones on I had to sit next to some kid who was half standing on the seat turned around talking to his friend. I was thankful that my stop was quick on the route. 

Hopping off I walked up to my grandfather’s house and let myself in the front door. “Abby! Is that you?” he called. 

“Yeah gramps” I called back. 

He appeared shortly after “ah hey how was your day?” 

“Fine” I shrugged, tossing my backpack on the couch. “Is uncle Charlie here?” 

“Uh yeah upstairs I think” he replied. “You want a snack?” 

“No I'm good” I settled onto the couch and opened the book Clive had gotten me. 

“The grim grotto” Alan read aloud. “Sounds interesting” 

“Yeah it’s from Lemony Snicket's series of Unfortunate Events” I explained. 

“Seems like a light read for you” the man commented sitting down in one of the chairs nearby and picking up the paper. 

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I exclaimed exasperatedly. 

“Because you read twice as fast as the average person and have an Advanced Eiaditic memory” Alan explained. 

“It’s Advanced Eidetic” I corrected “and just because I read faster doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a small book like this” 

“If you say so” Alan sighed seemingly annoyed with me “so what’s so fascinating about this book series anyway” 

“I don’t know” I replied honestly as I shifted on the couch pulling my feet up “I guess I can relate to being bounced around all the time from place to place under unfortunate circumstances” My grandfather made a humming noise and finally ended his questioning as I turned my attention back to my book. We both returned to our normal after school reading silence. 

____________________________

“Donnie!” I heard my father’s announced arrival from gramps before I saw the man himself  

“Brisket. Must be Friday.” Don murmured as I came wandering out of the kitchen to see him.

“What’s up?” Alan inquired of his eldest son.

“I didn’t have time to drive home. Can I catch a shower here, maybe borrow a clean shirt?” the man requested.

“Yeah, sure, be my guest.” Alan agreed easily.

“So much for 'not staying'” I commented knowingly. 

Don sighed, turning to look at me. “Yeah sorry kid. Case took a turn” 

“It’s fine” I muttered in reply. I knew Don’s work could be trying sometimes and keep him away from home for long periods of time. Which led to me spending half my time staying at my grandfather’s house. 

“Yeah well it’s nice having you around the house anyway” Alan told me as Don turned to head upstairs. “And tell your brother to come down for dinner” Gramps called after his eldest son. 

“If the food’s done he’s probably on his way already” I joked taking a seat at the table.

Alan scoffed and turned back to Don. “you want some there’s plenty” 

“No, I can’t.” The FBI agent objected, removing his tie and tossing it on the table “I got to get back to work.” 

As Don left to go upstairs Charlie appeared. “Abby? When did you get here?” 

I exchanged a look with Alan who was pouring water into everyone’s glasses. “A couple weeks ago Uncle C” I called in a sarcastic reply. Which earned me a look from my uncle. 

I saw the man’s attention shift to the maps my father had brought in with him. I got up to go look over his shoulder at them. “Hey you two that’s Don’s work. Probably be better if you not mess with it” 

“We’re just looking at the map gramps” I responded over my shoulder as I took in the information surrounding the thirteen little red dots on this map. My brain kicked into autopilot as it began various calculations. 

“Well then just the map then none of the files” Alan ordered “you hear me”

“Yeah dad we hear you” Charlie responded this time. However from his tone you could tell his mind was somewhere else. 

“You think there’s something here?” I asked.

“Maybe” Charlie breathed out as we both continued to analyze the data. “We could help” Charlie was talking lightly both our minds processing the information on the maps with mathematical precision. “Crime scenes”

“Tracking, rating, origin point” I muttered looking at the scattered red dots. Me and Charlie looked at each other both realizing the same thing at the same time.

“Charlie, Abby, what do you think you’re doing?” I turned as Don’s voice came from behind. He was done with his shower.

“Crime scenes” Charlie replied seemingly unaware of Don’s obvious annoyance “what kind of crimes?”

“Get away from here” Don snapped folding up the map quickly “these are confidential case files”

“I already saw the map it’s imprinted on my memory” I replied pointedly. “It doesn’t really matter whether you put it up now or not and we didn’t get in the files.”

“She’s telling the truth.” Alan called from where he was feeding his pet bird. “They just looked at the map. I made sure they didn’t go through anything else.”

“Good,” Don grumbled, grabbing his tie.

“Thirteen crime scenes spread over a contained region. You guys are analyzing the significance of those locations?” Charlie inquired of Don as the older brother tied his tie in the mirror on the wall. I stayed over by the table Charlie followed him.

“Yeah, it’s called predictive analysis.” Don explained “the FBI pioneered it. I trained in it at Quantico, and it doesn’t work on sado-serial crimes. There’s no way to predict the location of the next attack.”

“You know, I helped you out on that stock fraud mess,” Charlie began and I rolled my eyes at his obvious bid. “And the IRS extortion case.”

“Yeah. This is different.” Don objected finishing his tie and turning away from his brother “it’s not about numbers”

“Everything is numbers” Charlie stated and looked to me as Don grabbed his jacket. I shrugged beyond a couple theories there was nothing that I could see us being able to help with or at least not that I could with my limited knowledge. Uncle Charlie sighed and turned to the backyard something caught his eye and I watched as the gears turned in his head. “Don. Hey.” he turned quickly and went after his brother. “Um, can I show you something really quick?”

“No, Charlie I got to get-” Don attempted to argue but his rebellion was futile. As Charlie continued to pester and managed to draw him over to the window facing the backyard. I followed behind them curious to what the mathematician had come up with.

“Check this out.” Charlie gestured outside “you see the sprinkler, yeah?”

“Yeah I see the sprinkler” Don muttered clearly uninterested.

“You see the drops?”

“Yep. See the drops”

Then it clicked in my mind what he was thinking “Even using math there’s no practical way to predict where the next water drop will land” Charlie began his explanation and I walked closer. “There’s too many variables. However, say I couldn’t see the sprinkler. From the pattern of the drops, I could calculate its precise location.”

“The origin point” I voiced.

Charlie flashed me a proud grin then turned back to Don who seemed to slowly be getting the idea “it’s not about predicting the next site. It’s finding what the sites have in common. The point of origin” he nodded to me.

“Charlie, you’re saying you can tell us where the killer lives?” Don inquired.

“Yeah” the mathematician nodded.

“And I can help,” I added.

____________________________

“The movements of a serial perpetrator are defined by his needs. He watches potential victims. Avoiding detection, he’ll frequent public areas, parks, streets that don’t get a lot of traffic, waiting for moments of isolations.” Don explained pacing back and forth in the dining room. 

“Isolated areas, high probability of attacks.” Charlie murmured scribbling on the pad of paper in front of him. 

“Tv distracting you?” Alan inquired as he passed by the table from the kitchen. “I could turn it off” 

“No, it's fine, dad.” Don objected, he glanced over at me sitting in a chair in front of the tv and I quickly diverted my eyes as the brother’s continued to talk. 

Moments later Alan came over and sat down in the seat next to mine. I sighed and turned to my grandfather “This is so unfair I can help” 

“You’re a teenager Abby not an adult” Alan replied with his eyes on the tv. “Let them work” 

“I'm a teenager with a near genius IQ living with an overprotective jerk” I muttered. 

“I heard that” Don called from where he sat on the table. 

“Yeah well it’s a fact” I called over to him. 

“She is capable Don” Charlie agreed “and her help would be valuable”

“I said no I mean no. You’re just a kid. You don’t have clearance and I’m not letting you get involved in a criminal case” The agent put his foot down. “Now can you just listen to me for once?” 

“I listen I just don’t follow” I muttered scooting down in my chair. Alan shot me a look out of the corner of his eye. 

“I get the sense that this is about more than just you wanting to help on this case” the elder man inferred. I crossed my arms and tried to focus in on what Don and Charlie were saying. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with your birthday being this weekend.” 

“It’s not about that” I objected in a tone that was probably more snap than I intended. Sitting up I saw Don looking at me. I sighed, getting up and heading out to the backyard I couldn’t deal with this today. 

__________________

3rd POV. 

Don left Charlie to do his equations and settled to watch the baseball game with his father. “You going to go talk to her?” Alan inquired after a moment.

Don sighed glancing over to the back door Abby had stormed out of. “No she needs to cool off” 

“Still” the grandfather muttered. 

“Still what? She’s a teenager, you really want me getting her involved in a criminal case?” Don voiced. 

“No, no that’s not what I’m saying Don” Alan sighed “listen it’s her sixteenth birthday this weekend” 

“Yeah” Don muttered “I know I got her a present” 

Alan let off an annoyed breath “Donnie it’s her first birthday without her mother. It’s her first birthday with a father.” Don sighed and looked to the ground. “Have you even talked to her about Janice at all?” 

Don shifted in his seat “I don’t know dad she doesn’t want to talk what am I supposed to do?” 

“Donnie there’s a difference between not wanting to talk and not knowing how to,” Alan explained, “and unfortunately it’s a trait she seemed to have inherited from you.” 

___________________________

“Let’s go” Don ordered the gathered group of agents. Heading for his desk as they dispersed to get everything done. 

“Another day” Terry voiced over his shoulder he glanced back at her before refocusing on his files. “That means the case cuts into Abby’s birthday this weekend doesn’t it?”

“Yeah well she’s staying with my dad” Don muttered, closing the file and tossing it aside. 

“Are you at least going to call her or something?” Terry inquired.

“It’s too late now I will in the morning” the man replied, rising from his desk and heading off. 

Terry sighed watching him walk away. “Yeah if you remember” 

________________

Abby POV. 

White light filled my view, tires screeched, horns honked, a hand slammed into my chest, the crunch of metal, a scream. “Mom!” 

I startled awake sitting up on the couch. Thunder crashed outside. I removed the blinders from my eyes. “Abby are you alright” I turned as Alan came into the living room. “I heard you yell.” 

“Uh yeah” I replied as my heart rate slowed back down. “It was just a dream” 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the man inquired further. However just then the door opened and in came Charlie. He looked like a drowned rat. “Aw Charlie don’t tell me you went biking out in this weather” 

“I had to go by my office” the man replied as he settled down at the table pulling the FBI case files out of his bag. He was obviously shaken by something. 

The front door opened again and in came Don. “Hey guys, what's up?” he asked, seeming deflated. “Charlie you’re soaked” 

“Yes I’m aware” the younger man replied. 

Don removed his jacket and went for the coffee in the kitchen as I wandered over to the dining room. Which seemed to be the place everyone was congregating. Our reflections shown in the darkened rain streaked windows. Don reappeared shortly after with a mug of coffee. He placed it on the table and began pacing the room. 

“I can’t get my head around it.” Charlie voiced after a moment. 

“What are we missing?” Don ran along the same thought “where’s the problem? And how do we make it work? We need to make it work” he stated the last part more forcefully. 

It was weird watching him work. The gears turning in his head. “We need to retest it. We need another run.” Charlie declared standing and going up to Don who was still pacing. 

“Well that’s not going to happen” the agent objected, turning to his younger brother. 

“Well, look I know that it’s gonna be hard for you to talk your boss into doing it again,” the mathematician tried “but we can’t stop after one attempt-” 

“Charlie” Don tried to interrupt however the professor continued to truck on. 

“New methods require repeated trials-” 

“Charlie, I’m not on the case anymore.” Don explained finally. “Okay?” 

“Why?” Charlie inquired. 

I sighed and watched the look exchanged between Alan and Don. “because my supervisor wanted fresh eyes on it.” I could tell he was lying. 

“Well, maybe the math is not the problem” Alan suggested suddenly. 

“What do you mean?” Charlie questioned. 

“Well, you just said that there was something you couldn’t get your head around,” Alan elaborated further “and I know for a fact that it can’t be the math.” 

“What else is there?” Charlie sighed. Then it clicked like it was obvious.

“The people” I voiced causing all of them to look at me like they had just realized my existence. “The math can only predict what people will do acting within certain parameters what if this guy acts outside of your preconceived notions of human behavior?” I offered. 

“Hey, maybe they’re right” Don nodded walking past me back to the window to point at the water spraying outside. “I mean, this sprinkler. That totally made sense. That you could track back from the location and find out where the guy lives. Right? Totally made sense.” he turned from his father and brother to look at me. “Maybe we’re thinking about this guy in too narrow a focus.” 

“Are you saying I need to consider more than his criminal activities?” Charlie seemed confused. 

“No not exactly” Don explained “I’m saying we maybe need to consider more than just where he lives. Like Abby said. You know look at me. If you designed an equation to find my origin, you wouldn’t get my apartment ‘cause I’m almost never there. My base would be my office.” 

I looked to Charlie as he meandered over toward the window the gears in his head spinning. The math forming in his mind. “Which means we use his home and his work as points of origin.” 

“Exactly” Don agreed. 

“I can design an equation to identify two hot zones.” Charlie muttered eyes still transfixed on the window. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he questioned, turning back to us. “Don… Dad… Abby.” he looked to us each individually. “That’s brilliant” 

It wasn’t long before the boys were packing it up and heading back to Don’s office. Both invigorated by the discovery. Once they were gone Alan turned to me. “You should get to bed, it’s late and tomorrow is a rather important day.”

I nodded slightly as he turned to head to the kitchen “Do you think he knows?” I voiced almost not meaning to. “Do you think Don remembers that it’s my birthday tomorrow?” 

Alan sighed looking back at me. “Abby, Don can get wrapped up in his work but uh, he’s never been one to forget what’s important.” I bit my lip and looked to the floor thinking. “Alright now up to bed” 

“Goodnight gramps” 

“Goodnight Abby” the man smiled at me as I headed for the stairs. 

I reached the room that had at one point been Don’s and collapsed on the bed. My world had been a lot smaller when it was just me and my mom. A lot scarier and a whole lot less normal but definitely smaller and less complicated. 

_________________________

I was startled awake again from the same dream, the same memory. I slowed my breaths and got up from the bed. Dawn had barely set in and light wasn’t very prevalent outside. I paced back and forth in the room. Thinking over everything before finally making a decision. 

I threw on some clothes, grabbed my backpack and headed out of the room. I crept through the house quietly as not to wake Gramps snoring down the hall. As I reached the front door I paused looking back at the house before ducking out and running. 

____________________

3rd POV.

Don sighed as he packed away the last couple files on his desk. The case was finally closed and he was exhausted. He glanced over and saw a small stack of books on his desk wrapped in a bow. He pulled it closer to him and looked at the card on them. To: Abby From: Terry. 

“Figured you could give it to her for me” the female agent spoke up causing Don to turn to her. 

“Yeah sure” he agreed. 

Terry gave him a smile. “Go home Don and celebrate your daughter’s birthday” she instructed him. 

Don nodded as she left. He sat there for a moment thinking about everything today meant. Sixteen years ago today he had become a father and he hadn’t even known it. Then a couple weeks ago he had been told and expected to start acting like a Dad. Don sure didn’t feel like a father. Anytime he talked to Abby it felt weird like he couldn’t find the words or she would just give him sarcasm. It was easier just not to talk at all. He had no idea what he was doing and she certainly didn’t seem to want him around. 

Don let off a breath and rose from his seat gathering up his things. Then his phone rang glancing at his caller ID he was surprised to see it was his father “hey dad what’s-”

“Abby’s missing” Alan interrupted. 

Don immediately felt like he couldn’t breath. His heart rate picked up and his lungs felt empty. “What?” 

“She’s missing. Gone.” Alan repeated he sounded scared himself “I went to wake her up this morning and she just wasn’t there” 

Every worse case scenario started shooting through Don’s mind. Where could she be? Could she be hurt? Kidnapped? Lost somewhere? Scared? He couldn’t think straight as fear coursed through his veins. 

“Alright call the cops put out an Amber alert” Don suggested “see- see if she’s with Charlie or something. I’ll try her cell and go look at- ah the library, the apartment. Places she might go” 

He was talking extremely fast he realized as the cop side of him battled with a side of him he’d never felt before. A kind of pure terror and concern that he couldn’t even begin to quantify as he grabbed his coat and bolted for the elevator hanging up on his father and speed dialing his daughter’s number. She didn’t answer. He tried again and again as he reached his car. This couldn’t be happening. Where was she?

___________________________

Don was driving away from the library as his phone rang. He answered it without even glancing at the caller ID hoping to hear his daughter’s voice on the other line. He was disappointed. 

“Don”

“Charlie I can’t talk right now. Abby is-” 

“I know Dad told me” Charlie informed “He also said she was upset-” 

“She’s always moody Charlie what are you saying?” Don snapped probably a little more harshly than he meant to. 

“I think I know where she is” Charlie spoke quickly as not to be cut off by his frantic older brother. 

________________

Don cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. After all his worrying and frantic searching why hadn’t he looked here first? As he pulled to a stop and got out of his truck he felt himself slow as relief washed over him. 

Sitting in the grass not too far off was Abby. She was staring at one of the various stones of the cemetery. Don sighed and walked over to her somberly. 

Nothing was said as he sat down next to her. He didn’t need to read the name of the stone to guess whose it was. Janice Calvin. His ex-girlfriend and Abby’s mother. 

“You know you scared everyone half to death” he finally stated after a moment. 

“Sorry” the girl replied, looking to her feet. “I should have left a note or something. I just wanted to be alone here for awhile.” 

“Yeah” Don let off a breath just relieved she was okay.

“It’s my sixteenth birthday” Abby muttered, turning back to the stone but still not looking at him. 

“I know I got you a present,” Don replied softly. 

“Mom and me had been planning my sweet sixteen before..” Abby trailed looking to the ground. “It was just going to be the two of us. We were going to cook and have a picnic in our apartment. We couldn't do much because you know we didn’t have a lot of money. But we were going to have each other.” 

“I’m so sorry Abby” Don told her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders hesitantly. “Your mother loved you” 

“I know she did I just- I just miss her” Abby sniffed and for the first time. Don saw his daughter cry. He felt a part of him inside falter. Like something had broken or shifted. 

“I miss her too.” Don explained. “Your mother was an incredible person. And my biggest regret was letting her go” 

“Do you think if she would have stayed- if she would have told you,” Abby questioned. “That things would have been different? That we would have..” The girl trailed but her question was clear. 

“I don’t know Abbs but” Don sighed and finally he understood what his own father had been trying to tell him all this time. “Abby I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’ve missed so much of your life to the point I- I didn’t even know what to get you for your birthday. I just-” he paused biting his lip. “I just feel like we’ve both been living with each other these last few weeks and not actually trying to have a relationship because it’s scary and complicated but Abby.” he sighed “today when dad called and told me you were missing.. I’ve never been more scared in my entire life.” Abby looked up at him as tears streaked down her face. “Now I know your mom loved you and Abby so do I alright?” 

“Alright” she managed but in the next second Abby wrapped her arms around Don’s middle as she broke into sobs. Don just held her in his arms holding back his own tears. 

__________________

Abby POV. 

It was late. After the cemetery Don had called and told everyone that I was safe. I felt bad putting them through all of that. I just hadn’t realized how many people would freak out had I gone missing. I was sitting at my desk in my own room reading one of the books Terry had gotten me quietly. 

There was a knock on my door. I paused in my reading and rose from my chair. Opening it I wasn’t exactly surprised to see my father standing outside. “What?” I inquired with minor annoyance at being disturbed. Though after everything that happened today I didn’t have much energy left to be annoyed. 

“Come on I’ve got a surprise for you” Don replied ignoring my sarcasm. 

“What?” I repeated exasperatedly curious for what this surprise could be. 

“Come on” Don scoffed, ushering me out of my room and toward the living room. I dragged my feet and had to practically be shoved out by my determined father. 

My irritated rebellion ended however as we exited the stairs. The coffee table had been moved and various colorful lights were hanging all around. In the center was a blanket laid out with something like a picnic setting. “Now I know it’s probably not exactly what you and your mom planned but..” Don sighed stepping around to look me in the face as I stared around in awe “Happy Birthday Abby” 

“Thanks D- Don” I replied. Stumbling on the name as the word Dad nearly slipped from my mouth. He smiled and we settled down on the blanket to eat. Talking and laughing and joking. It was a fun night and after all of it I was really happy to have my dad in my life. 

Chapter 2->

[rora-s]

The Derivative  Chapter 2: Shots

Chapter 1<- 

I stared across the darkened classroom at my blinders. They were perched in captivity on my history teachers desk. Stolen away from me and promised release upon the end of class today. The teacher himself was blathering on about something that I didn’t find important about how history continues on today. It seemed rather a redundant point to make. Of course we were living history I mean at one point every person we learn about in history had been in their present time.

There was movement in the corner of my vision and I turned to see Mr. Hopkins had turned on the tv in the room. “...let’s see what’s on the news nowadays as an example.” after flipping past a couple static filled channels Hopkins finally found the news station he was looking for.

I was about to turn back to my thoughts when I caught what the reporter was saying “This is a live breaking report from the channel 8 news. Flying over Central Los Angeles Savings Bank. I can see multiple people lying on the ground. One appears to be a federal agent several bystanders also seemed to have been injured in the crossfire, where the shoot out between federal agents and suspected bank robbers is in progress...”

I felt like ice water had just been pumped through my veins. I froze completely in shock. I remembered back to just the other night when Don had asked Charlie for help tracking bank robbers. Could it be the same robbers? Could Don be in the shootout? Was he injured? The class continued to watch through a car explosion and more gun fire and more cops arriving. Even into the aftermath.

“I’m receiving confirmation that three people were killed in his tragic incident one of which being an FBI agent. ” The bell rang and Hopkins turned off the tv. Seeming only to have been half listening. Most of the students in the class only seemed to be half listening.

I however was shaking. I was terrified. What if it was Don? What if he was dead? Shot down in front of a bank. I swallowed the lump in my throat rising from my desk with the rest of my classmates. I sweeped by the teacher’s desk and rescued my blinders before heading into the hallway.

My next class didn’t seem at all important as I ducked into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. I pulled out my phone and speed dialed my father’s number. He didn’t pick up. I tried again. More of the same. I tried Alan; he didn’t answer either nor did Charlie. I repeated Don, Alan, Charlie. No one would pick up their phone. After hearing my father’s voice mail for the fifth time. I pocketed my cell and grabbed my backpack.

The hallway was clear as the final class of the day had already started. I headed straight for the exit. I was going to catch a bus to Alan’s house and get some answers. I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

“Abby Calvin” the voice spoke. I turned to see none other than the school principal smiling down on me with a fake grin. “Skipping class are we?”

“Sir I was-”

He held up a hand “this is the third time in the last two weeks you’ve skipped a class. It’s not happening again, come on” he led me to the office.

The rest of my time at school was taken up by me being talked at by the principal. I tried to explain what was happening multiple times. He wouldn’t hear it and I was given a note for Don to read when I got home. My stomach churned as I imagined him shot to death in front of a bank. I quickly banned the image and beat my imagination into submission.

I tried each of the men I called family again twice on the bus before I was let off at the apartment building. I hurried up to my and Don’s apartment and let myself in. I threw my backpack on the couch and turned on the news grasping for any information that it might tell me.

As I sat watching the various unrelated news streams and casters talking about things I could care less about. I felt a sharp pain hit my head like a rock and with a blink I suddenly wasn’t sitting on the couch in Don’s living room.

I was crouched by a fire. I could hear the rain. People were talking all around me, there was music, laughing. Then there were shots. They echoed loudly in-

I stood and shook my head like it was wet. Pushing away the intrusive memory. I grabbed my binders out of my pocket putting them on and taking multiple deep breaths to try and calm down. I didn’t want to think about that. I didn’t want to think about her.

_________________ 3rd POV.

Don sighed sitting down on his desk and pinching the bridge of his nose. Tonight was not going well for him. His arm hurt and his head hurt. Worse he had just gotten back from talking to Agent McKnight's parents at their hotel. Nothing hurt worse than the look on McKnight’s mother's face when he told her what happened.

“I should be looking at mugshots, right?” Don voiced to Terry who was at her own desk nearby.

“Did you get a good look?” she inquired.

“Yeah, definitely” the man muttered in reply. Just then his phone rang. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. It was Abby he was about to answer it.

“Agent Eppes.” Don turned to see the forensic scientist had appeared nearby. “That piece of evidence you found at the scene. We know what it is”

“Excellent” he told her and glanced back at his phone declining the call from his daughter and making a note to call her back once he got a chance. Then him and Terry followed the scientist down to her lab. ________________________ Don reached the door to his apartment and began digging for his keys with a sigh. This case had taken a major turn and it was really late. He wasn’t here to rest though he was here to pick up Abby and take her to his father’s house. Alan could watch over her while Don worked late at the office on this case. As he turned the knob of the door he grimaced at the shot of pain his arm gave him. Then he entered his apartment and heard the immediate stomping of feet running to the door.

“What the hell were you thinking!?”

It took the FBI agent a moment to register the unexpected outburst to be coming from his daughter. “What?” he asked, confused.

“You were getting shot at!” Abby yelled walking up to him. “It was all over the news! An agent was shot and another was dead and I didn’t know who was who because you wouldn’t pick up your goddamn cell phone!” she yelled.

Don thought back to all the times he had dismissed her calls that day. He hadn’t thought anything about it at the time. However now he realized how stupid it had been not to let her know he was alright. “I’m sorry Abby I-”

“You could have been dead for all I knew!” she cut him off “and where would that have left me? Huh?” Her voice broke.

“Abby I risk my life everyday” Don explained trying to keep his voice level and calming.

“I know but you can’t just act like I’m supposed to be okay with it or just leave me in the dark to suffer you unbelievable jerk” she shoved him harshly in her anger.

“Abby. Abby. Abby!” Don tried to get her attention to make her calm down as she whacked at his chest and struggled against him in anger.

“I already lost my mom, I can’t lose you to Dad!”

Both parties froze at her last outburst. The anger in Abby’s face faded as she realized what she had said. “You just called me Dad” Don muttered.

“No no I said Don” Abby objected.

“No you said Dad” Don countered a small smile threatening his face. Despite the circumstance it was the first time she had ever called him that.

“No I said Don” the girl muttered.

“You called me Dad” Don let off a light chuckle.

“Oh shut up you stupid sperm donor” Abby grumbled as he pulled her into a hug.

“Are you done yelling now?” he inquired. Abby nodded into his chest. “Then listen cause the truth is I’m sorry I should have told you I was alright rather than just leaving you in the dark. I just- I’m still figuring out this father thing alright. We both are and I’m sorry but risking my life and possibly getting shot at is my job” Abby squeezed him tighter “but I will make this promise to you though. For every moment I am alive I will be fighting to make it back here to you. Alright?”

“Alright” Abby nodded as they stepped apart. “Donald”

Don sighed “Dad things not staying huh?”

“I wouldn’t bet on it” Abby replied with a smirk that mirrored her fathers.

“And here I was actually liking the idea of being called Dad” Don murmured. They both chuckled lightly. _______________________ Abby POV.

Me and Don pulled up outside Gramp's house and loaded out of the truck. Alan came out to meet us near immediately with a look of concern clear on his face. “Donnie, you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. It’s fine- ow! Ow!” he exclaimed as his father touched his injured arm. “Look it’s just, my arm’s a little sore.” he addressed the blatant concern on Alan’s face. “I got a- a scrape during an incident.”

I rolled my eyes at the lame excuse coming over to their side of the driveway. “A scrape? From what?”

“Well, a bullet, if you have to know” Don muttered with a sarcasm very much like my own.

“A bullet oh my g-” Alan exclaimed immediately.

Don quickly spoke over him “but it’s not… dad, please listen to me, okay?Just relax. We had an arrest go bad, and we lost an agent, okay? And three people died”

“It was all over the news” I added “check your voicemail I left messages”

“My word” gramps breathed out in shock.

“Now I’m dropping this one off and looking for Charlie. Where is he?” Don questioned.

“He’s out in the garage with Larry.” the other man informed. “He’s upset. I can see why now.”

“What’s he doing in the garage?” Don asked, confused. I had to admit I was confused as well last I heard they only used the garage for storage and laundry.

“He’s just working on that problem. You know.” Alan spoke directly to Don. “the problem he can never solve.”

“The P vs. P thing?” Don inquired.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s the one.” gramps nodded.

“Aw man” Don groaned in aggravation. I got the sense there was more going on here than I was privy to.

“Wait do you mean P vs. NP?” I looked between the two men. “The millennium prize problem?”

Neither seemed to be listening to me as Don started trucking toward the house. “Where are you going?” Alan called after him.

“I got to talk to him.” the son replied “I need a new equation”

Alan seemed as though he wanted to say more but Don had already disappeared into the house. “What’s the problem with Charlie working on P vs. NP?” I asked.

Alan sighed and looked to the ground “It’s not Charlie working on the problem that’s well the problem Abby. It’s why” I thought on it for a moment but was still not sure what he was saying. “Come on” he finally spoke up. “I’m assuming you haven’t had any kind of dinner yet” I nodded and followed my grandfather inside. ________________ 3rd POV.

Don came storming into the kitchen from talking to Charlie. It was aggravating after everything that happened with McKnight and the shootings. Charlie should be motivated to stop these guys but instead he just such down. Don was a kind of frustrated that only his little brother could make him whether it was rational or not and he knew it.

“Are you okay?” Don turned to see Abby perched sitting cross legged on the kitchen island. She was eyeing him quizzically.

“Yeah” he answered immediately “no.” he answered honestly “been better” he finally decided to go with. Abby nodded and bit her lip in a way that for half second made Don feel like he was looking in a mirror before he brushed the thought away “what are you doing in here?”

“Thinking” the girl replied honestly holding up her blinders which the man could infer she had just removed. “Gramps and your partner Terry are in the living room. She’s nice. I thanked her for the books she got me for my birthday.”

Don nodded and let out a breath feeling his irritation slowly ebbing away “yeah I’ve known Terry for a long time”

“Really?” the girl inquired.

“Yeah about ten years. We met in the academy” he explained.

“FBI academy?” she quizzed further.

“Yeah” Don nodded and a small grin came to his face “what you think I learned all this on the streets. Trial by fire style?”

Abby laughed slightly. “Well I don’t know I’ve only known a real FBI agent for the upside of a month”

Don scoffed and looked to his shoes. “Yeah”

“Is Charlie helping with this bank robbing case still?” Abby inquired, glancing toward the backdoor through which Don supposed she must have been able to hear the shouting.

“Apparently not” Don grumbled. “All he wants to do is work on the stupid P vs. P thing he’s completely shut down.”

“I can’t really blame him for being worried” she stated “and neither can you Don. You could have died and Charlie’s the one who sent you to the bank where the shooting happened.”

Don sighed and looked at his daughter quizzically “yeah I know but like I told you it’s my job to get shot at and I can’t change that. The more he helps though the less likely it is for that to happen and he just doesn’t want to help”

Abby looked like she was about to respond when the door to the kitchen opened and Terry stepped in “hey Don sorry to interrupt but we have to get back to the office.”

“Yeah coming” the man replied to his partner. Then turned to his daughter “I’ll see you later kid”

“Bye Don” the girl replied.

Don nodded and followed Terry out of the kitchen. Thinking in the back of his mind that he really wished she would have said Dad. __________________ Abby POV.

I walked slowly down the stairs of the house heading for the living room. Two books in hand that I wanted to read. I was mildly preoccupied with my own thoughts to the point that I didn’t realize Charlie had returned from the garage until I was about to turn the corner. I paused out of sight of the two men in the living room as the younger spoke.

“Dad. I’ve been working on a problem.” he explained “P vs. NP, it can’t be solved.”

“I think you knew that when you started” Alan replied wisely flipping through his paper.

“I could work on it forever, constantly pushing forward, still never reaching an end.” Charlie admitted. I bit my lip realizing I shouldn’t be listening in on this conversation however my feet wouldn’t move from the place they had planted themselves.

“You know, sometimes you want to think that things don’t end.” gramps mused “but they do.”

“When mom was sick I couldn’t stop working on it.” Charlie’s voice was breaking and I felt something clench in my chest. I had gathered enough knowledge about Margaret Eppes, my grandmother, to know she had died of cancer about a year ago. None of them really talked about it in excess. It was still fresh in their minds. Like my mom’s death and the state of mourning it procured were still fresh in mine.

“Yeah. I know.” Alan spoke to Charlie gently. “I didn’t get it. Uh, not then. And your brother sure doesn’t understand why you spent the last three months of your mother��s life working on a math problem.” I shifted on my feet listening despite my growing urge to leave “But Charlie, you mother she understood why. Because she knew how your mind worked.”

I finally pried myself off the wall and left the house. I wandered through the yard to the garage. My mom knew how my mind worked to. Even though she couldn’t think like I did she always understood why I behaved like I did. She knew what was in my head. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ 3rd POV.

Abby sat another book on her already read pile. Grabbing a new one from her, going to read pile. She had just opened the cover when there was a clearing of the throat from the entrance to the small nook she had claimed in the back of the library.

She looked up to see her mother standing there, arms crossed. “Busted huh?” The girl asked. 

“Uh huh” the mom responded. Removing her purse from her shoulder she sat down across from her 14 year old on the floor. “I got another call from the school. You know most moms when their kid ditches don’t check the library first.”

“But you know better” Abby commented with a smirk.

“Yeah I do kid but you still have to stop skipping school even if it is to go read books” Janice stated.

“But the classes are pointless and boring” Abby objected. “They want to either put me in the need help classes because of my spotty elementary school education or in equally boring regular courses and then are shocked when I ace it all” Abby explained adamantly. “It’s patronizing”

Janice sighed “I know I asked again about the advanced courses but they are still sticking to their plan” 

“If they’d just give me the chance I could show them” Abby muttered.

“You’re a brilliant girl Abbs one day people will see that” Janice reassured. “But you still have to go to school” Abby groaned “Hey, hey it’s not just about the school work maybe you could make some friends. You know you can’t hide in the library forever. Eventually you will run out of books. Especially at the rate you read” 

Abby nodded “yeah I know. But people are well… people” 

Janice smiled slightly “yeah they tend to be like that. What are you reading there?” 

Abby glanced down at her book. “I don’t know haven’t started it yet” 

Janice smiled “alright then you read I’m going to grab a computer and do some of my school work for my new online classes” 

“Mrs. Wiat wasn’t kidding about homework never ending was she?” Abby commented as Janice got to her feet the woman chuckled lightly with her daughter. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ Abby POV.

I was sitting in the garage with my blinders on just absently thinking when I heard someone else walk in. I raised up the blinders to see it was Charlie. He plopped down in the chair nearby and grabbed his laptop.

After a moment he glanced up at me “Abby’s why are you sitting on the floor?”

I shrugged “it’s comfortable”

The man wasn't interested in discussing the topic. “So your millenium problem.” I gestured to all the boards around us. “Are you going to keep working on it?”

Charlie froze in the typing he had been doing. “I don’t know but, it can wait”

“And Don can’t” I finished his thought. Charlie nodded slightly and continued on his computer. I half wanted to talk to him about my mother for some reason. As I felt he might understand. I wanted to tell him that my mom got it too. However, I didn’t want to reveal that I had overheard him earlier, nor did I want to upset him. “The numbers are easy aren’t they?” I finally voiced after a moment “easier than people anyway. Answers to questions and a solid foundation. Easy to hide in.”

“Yeah” Charlie breathed in response and looked up at me “but we can’t hide in the numbers forever can we?”

“Nope” I muttered, popping the p. We were silent for a moment with the exception of Charlie’s mouse clicking.

Then Larry, Charlie’s friend and fellow CalSci professor, entered the garage. “Well,” he voiced upon his arrival, “I was heartened to hear that you’ve shifted your focus off P vs. NP.” he meandered further into the garage “So tell me what is it that I can help you with?”

“I failed” Charlie admitted and I snapped my attention back to him. “I failed to notice something significant. These robberies display certain highly eccentric characteristics.”

“Okay” Larry murmured, taking a seat on my other side a top some stuff “well how so?”

“Many were conducted in under two minutes, but in many cases,” Charlie explained “the perpetrators remained on the premises far longer despite having the money. Why would they wait around?”

“Don’t know.” the cosmologist replied “leaving quickly would seem to be the essential strategy when fleeing a felony.”

“Or any kind of crime” I added. “It’s risky cops could show up”

“You see this game, Larry? Abby?” Charlie pivoted his computer screen to show he had been playing Minesweeper. “You have to clear mines without blowing any up. Each time you’ve cleared a square, a numerical value is revealed. That number tells you exactly how many squares containing mines are directly adjacent to the square. This allows you to predict where the next mine will be located. And then the more boxes revealed, the more accurately one can predict the location of the mines.” he finished explaining the game and then continued with its relevance “the pattern used in these bank robberies is similar to this same type of problem-solving pattern. These robbers have used the banks they’ve been robbing to tell them which ones to rob next.”

“To what end would criminals be playing Minesweeper with banks?” Larry posed the same question rattling in my brain.

“I don’t know,” Charlie admitted.

“Are they using it to find high cash sums.” I suggested.

“No the takes varied, some as low as one hundred dollars.” Charlie objected thinking.

“Well then you’ll have to gather more information on your robbers” I pointed out “see what they’re after.”

“Information” Charlie murmured then quickly stood up closing his laptop with a snap. “I have to go.” with that he had dashed from the barn.

“It seems you’ve inspired him young Abigail,” Larry sighed.

“Don’t call me Abigail please” I asked the professor “and I don’t know what I did to inspire him”

Larry made a humming noise as I got up from my seat on the floor. “Well does it matter how in the grand scheme of things really?” he asked philosophically. “Whether you meant to inspire him or not it is still the outcome” I nodded lightly in agreement. “So if not Abigail what would you prefer to be called?”

“Abby” I stated thinking it was rather obvious considering everyone else just called me Abby.

Larry let out another humming noise. “You know you are quite a unique being”

“Thanks” I murmured not sure where he was going with this.

“You have a mind such as your uncles but your traits portray your father in quite a respect for you only having known both for a month. A true statement of nature versus nurture” Larry observed “you are an enigma”

“Okay” I sighed “then call me the enigma”

Larry nodded and stood up “very well then” and with that he left the garage. I hoped he realized I wasn’t being serious. _______________ “Here you go, Pop.” Charlie called walking out of the kitchen with a bowl in his hands. “I got it.” he sat it down “now you got it.”

“Thank you,” Alan replied.

“Spoon” Charlie stated holding up the utensil.

I scoffed “I think he knows what a spoon is Uncle C”

My uncle gave me a look and messed up my hair with a small shove like gesture as he went to sit down next to me. He didn’t sit however as just then the main door opened. “Hello” my father called.

“Donnie!” Alan greeted getting to his feet. “Wow, it’s good to see you.”

“Oh, you guys ate. I’m starving” Don voiced coming into the dining room.

“Ah there’s plenty come on” Alan objected quickly.

“Yeah?” the agent clarified “did Terry call, tell you guys what happened?”

“Yeah, she said you arrested every suspect.” Charlie informed shuffling back toward the kitchen. “Only one shot fired, huh?”

“That’s impressive.” I mused “snipers are cool.” Don gave me a look as he made his way to the seat at the head of the table “sniper math is cool” I emphasized pointedly.

“One? How’d you pull that off?” Alan inquired.

“We knew roughly where’d they’d try to hit the next shipment,” Don explained as Charlie disappeared to get him some food. While I turned back to consuming mine. “And I knew they’d have an escape plan.”

“That’s very clever.” Gramps declared digging into his dinner.

“Out thinking the bad guys” I voiced “that’s got to be fun”

“Keep talking like that and someone might think you want to join the FBI” Don muttered giving me a look.

I shrugged and held up my hands in a defensive gesture “hey I don’t even know what I’m doing once I escape high school” I explained “don’t go pegging me to early”

“And I don’t think I can take two members of the family dodging bullets for a career” Alan voiced.

“Yeah well, I guess I was inspired by Mr. Heisenberg” Don continued as he went to grab a beer in the kitchen. “Just like Charlie here suggested”

“Heisenberg?” Alan gave Charlie a perplexed look. “You mean, the physicist?”

“Yeah” Don called in reply.

I chuckled lightly as Charlie took the seat next to me “Don goes to confront a bunch of crazy and armed bank robbers and your pep talk is about the movement of subatomic particles?”

“Yep” Charlie replied simply. Me and Alan exchanged an amused look. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“Yes” Alan replied. “I guess it did.” There was a moment as Don joined us at the table and we all turned to our food but Alan “I’m telling you,” he began “if your mother could see you two guys now, she would be… so happy” he voiced and turned to me “and Abby. She would have loved to have known you”

I smiled lightly as the brothers exchanged a look themselves. “How are you doing on your P vs. P thing?” Don inquired after a moment.

“NP?” Charlie corrected with an amused breath.

“Sorry” Don murmured.

“I’m not pursuing it anymore.” the mathematician declared.

“No?” the agent questioned.

“I got plenty of problems to work on,” Charlie explained “ones that I think I can actually solve.”

Don nodded “Glad to hear it.” The two clinked their glasses and Alan raised his. I grabbed my glass of water as well and we all knocked glasses in the center taking a sip. As normal table conversation resumed. I found myself smiling. I was among family.

Chapter 3 -> 

[rora-s]

The Derivative Chapter 3: Balance

Chapter 1 <- Chapter 2 

I trudged into my grandfather's house and ungracefully collapsed on the sofa. Charlie who was doing work on the coffee table looked over at me with an amused expression. “Hello” 

“Hello” I murmured, my arm draped over my face. 

“School that bad huh?” Charlie asked. 

“High school sucks when you’re a genius” I declared exasperatedly thinking back to the extensive argument I had with my english teacher over the wording of a phrase. 

“High school sucks for almost everybody” Charlie sighed continuing to work. 

Moments later I heard my grandfather enter the room so I sat up. “Hey” he greeted us both with a nod but gave me a confused look “I didn’t think you were coming here today. Not that I’m not glad to see you” he quickly added the last bit.

I shrugged and gave a small smile “got a text from Don while I was in class telling me to come here today and he cleared it with the school so I could get on the bus. Here I am” 

“Guess that means he’ll be working late” Alan muttered then looked to Charlie again who was shifting papers trying to cover some of his work “no classes today?” he inquired of the mathematician. 

“Nah” Charlie objected. 

“You working on something for Don?” Alan asked, eyeing his son's work. 

“It’s a um.. It’s a genetics project” Charlie answered “for a… for a friend in the bio department actually.” 

“A he or a she?” Alan asked as he adjusted the jacket he’d just put on. 

“Huh?” Uncle C looked to his father in confusion. 

“Your friend. Male or female?” Alan clarified and I rolled my eyes. 

“Does it matter?” Charlie scoffed with mild annoyance. 

“No, of course not I was just curious.” Alan murmured “I just thought maybe, you know…” Alan trailed, finishing his thought with a pointed look rather than words. 

“Well, listen. Dad, whenever I have a girlfriend, I will let you know by, um” Charlie paused a moment ”by putting a note on the refrigerator” I scoffed as Charlie chuckled.

“Good. Well, that’s nice.” Alan muttered then glanced up at me “what about you, any social progress?” 

I rolled my eyes laying back down on the couch “I don’t have any friends let alone romantic entanglements” 

“Touche” Alan scoffed “though you should try and work on that” 

“I hear that a lot,” I grumbled. 

Alan hummed in reply as he headed for the door. “Uh, where you going right now?” Charlie asked. 

“My book club” Alan replied easily. 

“Mm-hmm and where’s that?” Charlie asked. I rolled my head to look over at my uncle, curious as to why he was so curious. 

“Phil’s house.” Gramps explained “Raymond Avenue. You keeping track of me?” 

“No” Charlie chuckled “I’m just curious” 

“Oh” Alan muttered and gave me a look I just shrugged. 

Charlie reopened his laptop as Alan left. Though I notice him shifting his things slightly to block my view. I sat up slowly “genetics project right? About what?” I reached out to turn the laptop around. 

“No!” the man quickly snapped smacking my hand lightly with his pencil to ward me off as he closed the device quickly. “Just don’t look at that,” he said quickly. 

“Why not?” I questioned. 

“It’s uh… it’s my friends research” he spoke frantically as he gathered up his things “and- and they don’t want anyone else really looking at it alright so I’ll just- I’ll just go work somewhere else” He’d gathered up all his things in a frantic cluster and scurried from the room. 

“Okay then” I muttered looking after him. He was hiding something, that was obvious. However, I didn’t care that much to snoop around right now. So I laid back down on the couch for a well deserved after school nap. 

____________

“So what? Traffic downtown’s always terrible.” Gramps defended as Don and Charlie attempted to deter him from going to volunteer. 

“Well it’s worse than usual” Don explained, “There's a Sig Alert because of an accident on the 2, and you’ll blow your whole day in the car.” 

“Well it’s not like I’ll be alone. I'll have Abby with me to chat” Alan said looking back at me from where I was reading on the floor. 

“What?” I asked, perplexed. 

“You’re coming to help me. We talked about it yesterday” Alan explained then sighed as I continued to give him a blank look “you know you may remember everything you read but speaking to you it’s in one ear and out the other” I just shrugged in response, taking a bite of my apple snack and looking back to the book I was reading. 

“And also downtown there’s that, uh…? Charlie looked to his brother for help and they began to talk over each other. 

“Yeah, there’s that protest march” Don explained. 

“Over on uh…” Charlie again teetered off as Don spoke more. 

“It’s a big deal they’re expecting thousands of people” 

“It’s a big deal” Charlie reiterated “meanwhile you could be doing something fun. Hey, hey like I don’t know you could go bowling” everyone in the room turned to the youngest Eppes man in mild confusion. 

“Bowling?” Alan questioned then sighed “Abby come on” he gestured and I rose from my place sitting reluctantly. 

“Or golf” Don spoke quickly “you keep saying you’re going to play golf.” I slid past the brothers “it’s a beautiful day for a round or two” 

“It’s been two years since I retired,” Gramps told them “and almost a year since your mother died. Now I’m finding there are certain things I would like to do with my life. And one of them is to volunteer where people need me and another to spend time with my lovely granddaughter” he rested a hand on my shoulder “I’ve made, and though she might not remember it, Abby made a commitment to be someplace today and if that means sitting in my car, fine. But I’m certainly not going to skip out to go golfing or bowling” Alan started to lead me toward the door. 

“What if we told you…” Charlie began

“Charlie” Don interrupted his brother with a warning tone repeating his name multiple times as he continued to speak.

“There’s a really good reason you shouldn’t.” Charlie finished. 

Don shot him a glare but his eyes flashed to meet mine before softening as he looked back to his brother. 

“Well clearly there’s something you’re not telling us” Alan inferred. 

“Does it have to do with the math Uncle C tried to hide from me?” I asked softly and the brother’s exchanged a look. Charlie’s looking rather apologetic. 

“That you can’t tell us,” Gramps clarified. “But you don’t want us to go downtown?” 

“Yeah” Don finally voiced “I think it’s a good idea not to go downtown. Okay? Can we leave it at that?” 

Alan paused for a moment and I looked at each of the men “well I’ll take your concerns under consideration.” With that he turned and headed toward the kitchen. 

There was a beat of silence and I let off a breath “you know I really hate secrets” I muttered, shooting a look at Don who opened his mouth to respond but before he could I had turned to leave the room I heard him sigh in defeat as I walked away. 

_________

3rd POV. 

Don sighed as Abby stormed off abandoning whatever feeble excuse he was about to make. “Wish we could tell dad and Abby not to leave the house for a couple weeks.” Charlie voiced. 

“Right. Well, good luck with that.” Don muttered in annoyance “I may be new at this parenting thing but even I can guess that quarantining a sixteen year old girl isn’t going to work.” 

“I’ve gone months without leaving the house in the past” Charlie explained “and it’s not like Abby has friends to visit” 

Don scoffed “yeah guess her being antisocial does help with this” Don let off a breath trying to quell the balloon of anxiety that was his parental instincts before they exploded. Charlie shrugged slightly and Don found even the gesture annoying right now with his younger brother “bowling” he muttered turning to leave. 

“Yeah bowling” Charlie called after him, agitation also apparent in his voice. 

Don headed into the house after his daughter, he found her in his old room with her nose in a book. “Listen,” he began “I don’t want you going to the shelter with your grandfather alright and that’s the end of it” 

“No it’s not” Abby objected, snapping her book closed and sitting up “if I want to go help people I can. Especially since Gramps already said I could and so did you before you started acting all weird and keeping stuff from me.” 

“Abby it’s not my choice to keep things from you” Don explained carefully “but with my line of work there are certain things that I can’t talk about. Now I’m your father you have to do what I say and I say you’re not going to that shelter.” 

“Bullshit” Abby spat angrily, getting to her feet. “You can’t expect me to just listen to you without an explanation. I’m not some mindless drone” 

Don took a deep breath trying to keep his anger down “I know what’s best for you Abby so just shut up and listen to me alright? You’re not going and that is final” 

“Yeah right” Abby practically snarled “and I suppose you’re going to be around to stop me? You’ll just be at work while I’m dumped here and you know it. Father my ass you’re barely a supervisor” with that she shoved past him and out of the room. 

Don didn’t bother to stop her or go after her this time. They both needed time to cool down. He let off an aggravated growl and plopped onto the bed. She had a point he had been working a lot lately. Still, he knew going downtown was a bad idea. The last thing he wanted was for her to get sick. His stomach churned at the idea of her ending up like the victims he had seen in the hospital. Why couldn’t she just listen to him? He let off a breath as his phone beep. He was needed back at the office. So he rose and headed out he didn’t see Abby as he left but he knew they’d need to talk later. 

______________

Abby POV. 

“Have a good day” Alan murmured as he poured soup into a woman’s bowl. 

“Thank you” she nodded and shuffled down the line where I handed her a pb&j with a gloved hand.

There was a bout of loud laughter and three kids of varying ages came darting past the table. A woman followed behind yelling at them to slow down and watch where they were going. 

“I feel sorry for her” Alan voiced with a sigh “having to raise her kids in a place like this” 

Abby shrugged “it’s not a horrible place. I’ve been in worse ones” 

Alan gave her a side look “you were in a homeless shelter?” 

Abby shrugged “sometimes when the weather was bad or we were having car trouble me and my mom would stay the night in one. Came for meals quite a bit when I was younger, less the older I got but I had a lot of soup and pb&j growing up. Or mcdonalds dollar menu” 

Alan hummed and was quiet for a minute “you know your mother..” he paused seeming to collect his thoughts “and- and your father they might not always have seemed or seem like the best parents but I’m sure that Janice did the best she could for you and Don will as well” 

“I know” I replied with a slight smile at his concern “my mom just didn’t have the life skills needed to make it in the world when I was born. We managed just fine even if it wasn’t perfect. She was actually taking online classes to try and get a degree before she died” I paused thinking back on the memories. 

“Really? Well I bet with a kid like you your mother must have been a very bright woman” Alan decreed. They were quiet for a moment before Alan sighed “maybe you should have listened to your father and stayed I mean he is your father you need to listen to him” 

I sighed leaning on the table “with me and my mom it was always more of a negotiation. I was smart enough to take care of myself most of the time and she was always distracted by something. I got used to not listening. No one who gave me orders ever really had my best interest at heart before” 

“Well I can promise you that Donnie does” Gramps explained “both of you are still learning. Him how to guide a human being and you how to be guided. It’s a tricky process but I think once you both figure it out you’ll be better for it.” 

I smiled lightly “thanks Grandpa I’ll keep that in mind.” Alan nodded and turned to the next person in line. As I dwelled in my thoughts a bit. 

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

3rd POV. 

Abby poked at a bug with a pencil. As the creature scurried along the floor of their motel room. The door opened and the girl looked up to see her mother stumbling in. The woman let off a breath and clasped on one of the beds. 

Abby got to her feet and hurried over jumping up on the bed. “Mommy! Mommy!” The four year old exclaimed. 

“Hey kid” Janice greeted her daughter with a tired smile. “How was your day?” 

“That man came back again,” Abby informed. “He knocked on the door really loud this time” 

“Did he come in?” Janice inquired. Abby shook her head ‘no’ in response. “Good” Janice sighed and laid there for a moment in thought. “Here I got you some food” she sat up and turned to face her daughter. 

She pulled out a burger and small fry from the dollar menu of McDonalds. Abby smiled and began eating hungrily however she stopped when she saw her mother wasn’t eating. “What about you?”

Janice smiled at her daughter. “It’s alright Abbs” she reassured “I ate before I got here” 

Abby wasn’t as convinced “here” she extended her mother a couple of her fries. 

“No Abby, they're yours” Janice objected. 

“I want you to have some” the four year old replied stubbornly. 

Janice sighed and took the fries, kissing her daughter on the forehead “You’re a stubborn kid, you know that?” 

Abby giggled at that and continued to eat her small dinner. The girl had just finished and Janice was brushing her hair in the bathroom when the door slammed open. 

Abby jumped and rolled off the bed. Janice hurried out of the bathroom terrified. “That is it! You haven’t made your payments in a month! You are out of here!” The manager yelled. 

Janice begged and pleaded Abby just stood there and watched. Before she realized what happened she was standing outside with her backpack. Her mother was carrying a duffel. 

“Alright come on” Janice sighed as she took Abby’s hand and led her over to the car “we’re just going to have to find somewhere else.”

Finding somewhere else took less time than Abby expected. It had started to rain and it was getting cold. Janice pulled over and parked the car. She took Abby’s hand and locked their stuff in the vehicle leading her daughter quickly down the street and into a building. 

They were walking in among a small amount of people but there were more inside. Most had an odd assortment of clothes and layers. A lot looked old and a good portion were missing teeth. 

Janice talked to some people who were better dressed and didn’t smell as funky. Abby just clung to her mother’s leg and observed everything. Eventually they made it over to a small cot. 

Janice laid down and took off her jacket. Abby laid down next to her and Janice tucked her in. Abbs snuggled up close to her mother who began to sing softly to her. Until she finally fell asleep. 

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

“Best peanut butter sandwich has bananas on it” I decreed as me and Gramps walked through the door of the house. 

“Now that is normal,” Alan sighed. 

“Yeah so is popcorn” I pointed out. 

“Not-” 

“Hey” Charlie cut Alan off with his greeting as he came walking into the room “where’ve you been?” 

“Uh bowling” Alan replied sarcastically giving me a look. 

“Really?” Charlie questioned with mild surprise. 

“No, of course not.” Gramps objected with a chuckle “we were downtown at the shelter” Alan picked up the mail to go through it as Charlie’s face fell slightly. I meandered over to the living room to take a seat. 

“Dad..” Charlie started. 

“Well, no one else seems worried about being there,” Alan explained. 

“Plus it was a good day” I commented looking over the back of the chair. 

“That’s because they didn’t know,” Charlie voiced. 

“Didn’t know what you wouldn’t tell me?” Alan pointed out to his son. 

“He’s got you there” I decreed and my uncle gave me an exasperated look “what? You didn’t honestly think I’d take your side. Secrets suck” 

“Look,” Gramps continued drawing back Charlie’s disappointed stare “if everybody can be down there, why can’t me and Abby? I got this fuzzy feeling you and your brother have been going downtown too. Huh, am I right?” 

“Okay.” Charlie conceded following his father around the house. “But we were- we were worried about you two” the young man tried to explain. “Do you understand?” 

“Look, Charlie, your brother puts himself on the line every day on that job of his.” Gramps spoke as they came toward where I was sitting “don’t you think I’m worried about him? Huh? But I know how vital that job is to him.” Alan sat down in the seat across from me. Continuing to talk to his son “you’ve been helping him out quite a bit lately haven’t you?” 

Charlie nodded with a strained smile. “You know I could help too if he’d let me,” I muttered. 

“We’ve talked about this Abby” Gramps told me with a look before turning to his son again “you know what I’m really proud of? I’m proud that I’ve raised two sons. Well, we’ve raised two sons who have a great sense of public service. And a granddaughter who’s joined us with, however misguided, a want to serve as well.” Charlie and I both smiled at the sentiment before Grandpa descended into a fit of coughs.

“You okay?” Charlie asked worry drenching his voice. 

“Huh? Yeah sure it’s just a cough” Alan waved it away putting on his glasses to read. 

“Be careful it’s, uh.. It’s flu season” Charlie advised. 

“Yeah, well, don’t worry about me. I never get the flu” Gramps objected. 

“I’ve never gotten it either” I voiced thinking back “had strep once that sucked, never the flu” Alan hummed in acknowledgement as Charlie shifted uncomfortably. “You good Uncle C?” I asked. 

“Yeah, yeah” Charlie nodded, straightening slightly “I just got, uh, some, uh work to get back to” he murmured before leaving the room. 

“He’s acting weirder than normal” I voiced. 

“Ah it’ll blow over” Alan assured. 

“I bet Don’s going to be pissed that I went to the shelter today,” I advised. 

“Don’t worry about it” Alan told me “go get a book. I’ll take the heat on this one” 

“Thanks gramps” I smiled at him slightly before rising from my seat and heading upstairs. 

_________

3rd POV. 

“Hey you good?” Terry asked, tapping her partner on the shoulder as he sat staring at the board. 

“Yeah” Don muttered “just worried Abby and my dad went and volunteered downtown at some shelter and you know I just keep thinking..” he sighed “that first victim was a sixteen year old kid.” 

“And now you have your own sixteen year old kid” Terry finished the man’s obvious thought. Don nodded “did you tell her not to go” 

“Best I could with the reason being classified” the man explained “she just got mad I wasn’t giving her a reason, threw the fact that I work all the time in my face and stormed off” 

“Well she is still a teenager. They’re like that sometimes” Terry explained with some levity in her features 

“This was different though” Don explained “I mean I can gather enough to realize Abby hasn’t had a lot of great authority figures in her past I mean she didn’t even think we’d be worried when she disappeared on her birthday. Still..” Don trailed biting his lip slightly. 

“You’re trying Don” Terry reassured “you’re still figuring out how to be a dad and she’s still figuring out how to be a daughter. It’s not something that’s just going to click overnight even father’s who raised their daughters have issues. But if anyone’s stubborn enough and strong enough to get through these issues it’s you and her.” 

“Yeah” Don sighed “I’m just not used to feeling like this. I mean every moment of peace I have there’s this buzzing in the back of my head now of whether Abby’s alright or not. Been trying to keep myself from texting her or calling her, not that she’s in a great mood with me enough to answer” 

“That’s okay Don” Terry advised him “well maybe not text and call her every five minutes but it’s okay to be worried. She’s your daughter your natural instincts are to protect her” 

“Maybe” Don muttered “but how do I protect her from something I can’t even fight” 

Terry gave him a sad look but held no answers when David suddenly popped his head into the room “they pulled some footage from the bus terminal that we’ve got to see” he told them urgently and the pair quickly got up to follow him. Don pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. 

_________

Abby POV. 

“So how are you two guys doing?” Gramps asked as Don came out onto the back patio where we were eating. “Well, you seem so much more relaxed than the last couple of days” 

“Probably closed the stupid case they couldn’t talk about” I muttered taking a bit of my chili. I could see Don giving me a look out of the corner of my eye. 

“Yeah, I’d say, uh, we’re doing pretty okay now.” my father sighed sitting down next to his brother. “And we did finish our project” he gave me a nod. He paused, eyeing the beer in his hand “think I might get my first good night’s sleep in about a week.” 

“I’m glad it’s over” Charlie sighed. 

“You know, I thought I’d let you know that I’m gonna be working down at the shelter next week” Alan explained and turned to me “and if you would like to join me again you can. Though this time you might want to write it down so you’ll remember” 

“Very funny” I muttered “and yes I’d like to.” I paused “if that’s okay with you Don” I felt weird asking permission but I knew it was a good idea. 

“Yeah, I think it’s okay now.” Don agreed. Seeming just as hesitant to give a reply to the question. 

Alan looked between us and sighed “you know one of the hardest parts about being a parent?” he looked between us all “finding balance” he declared. I looked over at Don and gave him a light smile and he returned it. “Well I’ll see you three later. I’m gonna be going with Art Stanley” 

“Uh-oh. What are you two up to?” Charlie asked. 

“Bowling” Alan declared. Charlie grinned as me and Don began to chuckle. “After the fuss you made, I thought I’d give it a try” 

“Don’t throw out your back” I muttered.

“Ha ha very funny” Alan murmured. “And don’t you still have homework in the living room?” I groaned in annoyance “uh-huh come on” Alan gestured for me to follow him into the house. 

I let off a breath and rose from my seat bowl in hand. “I hate homework” 

“Necessary evil kid” Don advised “now go get it done and then maybe we can do something fun tomorrow” 

“Fun?” I asked intrigued.

“Yeah you know the two of us” Don clarified “since I’ve been working a lot lately I thought maybe it’d help with the balance you know?” 

I smiled “yeah okay”

“You know what you two should do?” Charlie voiced with a smirk. 

“If you say bowling I’m going to deck you” Don muttered, taking a swig of his drink as I headed into the house laughing.  

Chapter 4 -> 

[rora-s]

The Derivative  Chapter 6: People

Chapter 1 <- Chapter 5 

“Is there a reason you’re eating your lunch in the hallway?” I looked up at Mrs. Clive who had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. 

“Ms. Rampart kicked me out of the library” I replied, turning back to my book. 

“And the cafeteria?” Clive pressed. 

“Is full of annoyances known as people” I explained. 

“You know if you interacted with them you might find that people aren’t as annoying as you might think” the woman suggested. 

“I find that highly unlikely,” I muttered. 

Clive made a humming noise of acknowledgement. “Your father called said you need to take the bus to your grandfather’s house” 

“Great another case” I grumbled. 

The bell rang. I packed my book into my backpack as kids started filing into the hallway. “Have a good day today Abby” 

“You too teach” I replied to Clive grabbing my tray of food and backpack heading toward the cafeteria. 

I made it around the corner before my foot hit something. In the next second I was hitting the ground, my tray flinging from my hand and clattering on the tile a foot away. “Better watch where you’re going street rat” the girl who had tripped me called giggling with her friends as they headed down the hallway. 

“Street rat? What are we in Aladdin?” I muttered getting to my knees and gathering what had spilled from my tray. 

____________

I climbed off the bus in front of my grandfather’s house with my nose in a book. “Hey you must be Abby right?” 

My head shot up and I turned to see a woman sitting in a car in front of the house smiling at me. “Uh yeah who are you?” I asked suspiciously. 

“I’m Amita. Charlie’s my thesis advisor” she explained extending a hand and setting down her own book. “I’m just waiting on him” 

I shook her hand as realization dawned on me “yeah I’ve heard of you” 

She nodded “you’re reading C.S. Lewis’s Narnia” she observed. 

I held up the brick of a book in my hand “yeah I found this copy that has all the books in one in the library and couldn’t resist” I explained. “I’m already on A Horse and His Boy” 

“I only read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I was curious after watching the movie” Amita explained. 

I smiled “yeah I loved the movie. The effects were great, especially the detail they put into making Aslan seem real. Plus the child actors were great and they stuck pretty close to the book for an adaptation” 

“Definitely” Amita agreed. “Are you a movie fan?” 

“Uh yeah” I nodded and opened my mouth to talk more when I saw Amita’s eyes shift to look behind me. 

“Hello Mr. Eppes” she called. I turned to see my grandfather walking across the front of the house. 

“Oh hi” he greeted, seeming caught off guard. 

“Nice to see you” Amita smiled. 

“Nice to see you again,” he agreed, hurrying to the door. 

I looked between Amita and the door “I should get inside I have homework” 

“Alright, it was nice talking to you” Amita smiled. 

“Uh yeah you too” I agreed and hurried up the steps to the front door following my grandfather inside. 

Charlie was there sitting at the coffee table. “...so I could check this text on encryption and code breaking” he was in the middle of telling Alan. 

“Uh, and you left her waiting in the car?” the elderly man questioned making Charlie look out the window at the woman. I looked between them briefly before going to sit in a chair on the other side of the room. “No, no this is not the way we treat people, Charlie.” Alan instructed his son as I tried to focus back on my book “you bring her inside, you at least offer her something to drink. You know, like an adult.” 

“We just stopped by for a second,” Charlie objected. 

“You came in fifteen minutes ago Charlie” Alan informed. “Meanwhile she’s just sitting in that car out there.” 

“Well, I just got caught up in something.” Charlie defended gathering his things. 

“Yeah, I know, I know” 

“I don’t see what the big deal is.” 

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Alan explained. 

“What?” Charlie murmured confused. 

“She likes you, you know?” Alan declared. That made Charlie freeze in his shuffling of papers and I peaked over the back of the chair I was sitting sideways in to watch them. “Aren’t you ever going to do something about that?” 

Charlie looked out the window at the woman and then at his father who turned to walk away. His face was something like sad and scared at the same time. Alan sighed and came over to where I was. 

“I hope you’re better with people than that,” he told me. 

“I wouldn’t bet on it Gramps” I replied, turning the page of my book. 

______________

“I know my due date,” David objected. 

“I’m sorry” Charlie replied. 

“They trying to show me up, man,” the agent chuckled. 

“No man” Don muttered. 

“I apologize,” Charlie repeated. 

“Okay, all right.” Terry nodded. 

“Here you go” Alan declared, setting a platter down in the middle of the table. Don and I both reached for the food first. 

“Excellent dad” Don smiled as we all gave Alan our thanks as he retreated back toward the kitchen. 

“No no no I was a  good student. No, I just couldn’t get into math.” Terry explained to the group “Couldn’t see how it could relate to the real world” Both me and Uncle C froze giving Terry a look. Charlie sat down his beer as David chuckled and Don sighed. I grabbed another piece of bread “what? What did I say?” the agent inquired. 

“I think you’re about to find out,” David informed her. 

“Oh you guys are on your own.” Don said getting up and tapping me on the shoulder telling me to follow him. “Good luck” 

Charlie began to explain to the agents how math was everywhere in the world as I followed Don toward the kitchen. “Did you really almost get blown up today?” I asked. 

“Yeah kinda almost did” Don sighed “David saved my ass” he gestured back to his agent. 

“You remember the promise you made me right?” I asked “about always fighting to stay alive” 

“Trust me kid I remember and I’m still holding to it alright” he reassured me and I nodded. “Listen I talked to that teacher of yours on the phone Mrs. Clive. She’s worried about you says your eating lunch in the hallway instead of the cafeteria” 

“A lot of kids don’t eat in the cafeteria,” I pointed out. 

“Do they also eat alone in the hallway?” he inquired. I shrugged in reply “yeah that’s what I thought. Listen Abby you can’t be afraid to make friends. I mean Charlie was in high school with a bunch of kids older than him and he still had friends I think you can manage it”

“Yeah but people like Charlie” I muttered. 

“People will like you too. I'm sure you just need to find the right people,” he advised me. “Here how about we make a deal. You sit in the cafeteria for a while, try it out. Now I’m not saying go up and talk to people but just be around them, see if anyone comes to you. Give it lets say a month no friends made you go back to sitting in the hallway” 

I gave him a look and thought about before letting off a breath “fine deal but if nothing happens you have to promise not to bug me about it again and take me to get ice cream” 

Don scoffed at my terms but nodded “deal” He turned to talk to Alan as Amita came out of the kitchen with the silverware for the table. 

“Here let me help” I offered and she handed over half the utensils. 

“Thanks” she smiled. “How’s Narnia coming?” 

“Good” I replied “I’m already on the next book in the series” 

“Wow you read fast” she commented. 

“Uh yeah it’s kind of a gift I have” I explained. 

“Charlie mentioned that” Amita agreed. “I think it’s really cool” 

“Yeah well you’d be in the minority” I scoffed. 

“Uh yeah let me guess school nerd girl?” she asked with a knowing look. 

“It’s either that or the street rat,” I explained. 

“High school girls are mean” Amita stated “I hated it. I feel bad for you but I’d take solace in the fact that you’re smarter than they are and one day what they call you will be more like a badge of honor than an insult” 

I chuckled “badge of honor really?” 

“Oh definitely” she nodded and gave me a double take “oh wow is that a Captain America shirt?” 

I looked down at my t-shirt before turning back to the college student “yeah he’s one of my favorites though Batman’s top of the list superhero wise. Each the respective favorites for me in their universes” 

“I always favored Marvel over DC, it seemed more colorful,” she pointed out. 

“Yeah but DC was angsty” I joked. We shared a laugh. “I wish there were people like you in school then I wouldn’t be so against making friends.” 

Amita scoffed “I’m sure there are you just got to find them. Plus in the meantime we could be friends” 

I looked up at her surprised “really? You want to be friends with a sassy high school genius?” 

“Are you kidding sassy highschool geniuses make the best friends” Amita stated and we laughed again. Maybe Clive was right, people weren’t as annoying as I assumed. 

Chapter 7 ->